Chennai, Nov 13 AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday criticised Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for his silence over the conduct of TVK MLAs and the rising crime in the state, asking him to “wake up from his Kumbhakarna slumber” and crack down on criminals.
His remarks came after Deputy Speaker M Ravishankar was accused of assaulting a person, and Kallakurichi MLA C Arul Vignesh was alleged to have sent obscene WhatsApp messages to a woman Collector.
In a statement posted on social media, Palaniswami claimed that Tamil Nadu, once an “Eden of peace”, had become a “den of robbers”.
Calling Vijay a “reel CM”, he asked whether the chief minister’s “action” was limited to cinema cameras, and contrasted his pre-election speeches on public safety with the present situation.
“Will the chief minister, who has not yet broken his silence on the activities of his MLAs, break his silence on the fact that Tamil Nadu has become a den for robbers instead of remaining an Eden of peace? …Will the CM wake from his Kumbhakarna slumber and crack down on criminals?” he asked.
Kumbhakarna is a giant rakshasa (demon) warrior in the Ramayana, known for sleeping for six months at a stretch.
The former chief minister alleged that murders, robberies and muggings had become daily occurrences, leaving people fearful for their lives and property.
He listed several recent incidents across districts. These included a Rs 50 crore jewellery heist at a showroom in Madurai; the alleged misappropriation of Rs 1.5 crore in TASMAC collections in Kancheepuram; and the alleged theft of 13 sovereigns of gold from a 70-year-old woman by a TVK functionary in Tirunelveli.
He also cited the theft of 16 sovereigns of gold from a woman at knifepoint in Villupuram, burglaries at the homes of seven professors in Tiruvallur, and attempted burglaries at seven houses near Pallipalayam in Namakkal after street lights were switched off at midnight.
Referring to Vijay’s catchphrase, “Be confident, good things will happen, victory is certain”, Palaniswami asked whether the message was meant for the public or for criminals.
He added that several of these crimes took place while the chief minister was holding law and order review meetings.
Urging Vijay to act against his own party’s MLAs, he asked him to crack down on criminals with an “iron fist” and ensure people’s safety.
In a separate statement, Palaniswami said reports of an 11-year-old girl being abducted and sexually assaulted near Tiruppur, and of a student being attacked with petrol near Periyapalayam, had shocked people.
“These clearly reveal that crimes against women and girls have increased manifold in the last six months under TVK’s rule. The government of ‘Vijay uncle’ has not yet found the girl missing from Gingee. But today, the government is distributing cake to school children. Isn’t it shameful?” he asked.
Referring to the “All is well” message on the greeting cards distributed with the cakes, he said: “Is all well, CM? Is there any safety for children in school, home or on the roads? Only criminals are confident in your government. How can women and girls be at peace and confident under such an insecure and incompetent rule?”
If the chief minister really cared about women and girls, he should find ways to ensure their safety and take strict legal action against those involved in the Tiruppur and Periyapalayam incidents, he said.
(PTI News)
