Chennai, Aug 17: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday witnessed ruckus over drug abuse and related crimes in the state, resulting in heated exchanges between members of the ruling TVK and opposition DMK.
As the issue turned to accusations of corruption, how rampant drugs were handled during the previous DMK regime, and efforts to curb the menace by the present TVK government, the DMK members staged a walk out alleging that the ministers failed to properly respond to the questions raised by them.
Expressing concerns about a sharp increase in violent crimes and the deteriorating law and order situation in the state over the past week, Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin highlighted the brutal murder of a 19-year-old engineering student in Coimbatore, alleging police shared information provided by the student on the drug peddlers with the criminals themselves, leading to his death.
He mentioned several incidents, including the killing of a student in Thiruvottiyur in Chennai, a double murder in Palladam, murder of two youth near Kancheepuram, and the stabbing of a female police head constable in Gudiyatham.
Criticising the government for its alleged failure to control drug-related crimes despite their drug-free Tamil Nadu campaigns, he raised concerns regarding sexual assault cases involving ruling party members in Tuticorin and Ranipet districts.
Udhayanidhi demanded the government to take immediate, strict action to control the crime rate, increase police accountability, and introduce counseling sessions in schools and colleges to promote discipline and address violence.
State Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar, who provided a detailed account of the events surrounding the death of the college student, said the ruling party is taking strict action against drug-related crimes and drew a contrast to the previous administration’s handling of the Jaffer Sadiq case.
At this, the session erupted into a verbal clash between the ruling party and the opposition members, particularly involving Udhayanidhi and Kumar. Opposition members accused the government of failing to act on drug-related issues involving party members, while the Speaker J C D Prabhakar attempted to maintain order and decorum in the House.
Udhayanidhi criticised the government’s handling of drug cases, specifically highlighted an incident involving a cabinet minister at an IPL match, alleging inappropriate conduct.
Ruling party members dismissed the claim as baseless, questioning the lack of evidence and emphasised that they have taken immediate action against individuals accused of wrongdoing within their party.
The debate escalated as the ruling party mentioned the Jaffer Sadiq drug trafficking case, alleging that the opposition is trying to protect those involved and that the case is being handled by Central agencies rather than the state.
Human Resources Management Minister D Sarathkumar said that he had already clarified the incident at the cricket stadium, and went on to question the alleged Rs 88 crore corruption scandal involving recruitment in his department during the previous DMK rule.
Public Works and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna stated that the government remained unbiased and focuses on supporting the victims’ families rather than shielding officials.
He highlighted the state’s proactive measures against drug trafficking and noted that the current administration established the Anti-Narcotics Task Force immediately upon taking office, allocating over Rs 264 crore rupees and setting up 65 units across the state.
Arjuna flayed the opposition for interrupting his speech and argued that as a representative of the government, he should be allowed to present facts regarding the state’s efforts and historical data on the rise of drug-related issues in Tamil Nadu.
He cited police reports indicating a significant increase in POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) cases between 2020 and 2024 and recalled a specific, disturbing incident involving a child to criticise the opposition party’s past handling of such matters.
Speaker Prabhakar had to intervene multiple times to maintain order in the House, urging the opposition and the ministers to follow due procedures instead of turning the session into a venue for mutual accusations. (PTI)
