Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, and other Opposition leaders criticised Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over a spate of crimes across Tamil Nadu in the past 15 days.

In a social media post, Mr. Udhayanidhi demanded that Mr. Vijay explain the steps taken to prevent crimes against women and children. “Is this Tamil Nadu or Uttar Pradesh? Where is your Singapen Athiradi Padai [a task force for protection of women]? Why is the Chief Minister, who delivered valour-tinged dialogues before the election, refusing to open his mouth?” he asked.

He said the State had witnessed 25 murders, four cases of double murder, and 19 incidents of sexual assault in the past 15 days.

“Under the rule of those who spoke about change, Tamil Nadu’s law and order situation has deteriorated. After the murder of a girl in Sulur, there has now been a sexual assault of a girl in Villupuram district. The body of the Sulur girl was cremated without informing her mother. A boy was murdered near a temple in Madurai and a petrol bomb was hurled at the house of a woman in Coimbatore,” he alleged.

A. Gubendran, 17, was stabbed to death in the early hours of Monday at the Madurai Corporation’s shopping complex in the Meenakshi  Sundareswarar Temple parking lot. A scuffle with M. Muthumani, 28, over buying bananas at his shop on Dhalavai Street on April 26 is said to have led to the murder. The Vilakkuthoon police have picked up five suspects: Muthumani; his brother Rajkumar, 26; Satheesh Kumar, 28; Harikrishnan, 18; and Muthukumar, 19.

In Coimbatore district, four motorcycle-borne men hurled Molotov cocktails at the house of a girl near Thondamuthur on Sunday. Thondamuthur inspector T. Shanmugavel said one of the persons involved in the attack hails from Chennai, and is a serial offender. He had been into an alleged relationship with the daughter of the house owner a few years ago. The accused had also been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act in Madurai for eloping with a girl aged below 18. He and three of his friends carried out the attack, allegedly after the girl distanced herself from him. The police were trying to arrest them, the inspector added.

Three men were arrested on Sunday after a 25-year-old woman filed a complaint at the Thoothukudi All Women Police Station, alleging sexual assault. The police said the accused — A. Mohith, 25; J. Ritheesh, 19; and J. Thiloth Berlin, 21 — hailed from Fathima Nagar in Thoothukudi. Mohith, who was known to the woman, had taken her to the crime spot, near the fishing harbour, late on Saturday. There, he and his two friends allegedly sexually assaulted her. The woman told the police that they had also taken away ₹2,500, a mobile phone, and two silver rings from her.

On Sunday, she filed the complaint. A case has been registered under Sections 296(b), 126(2), 87, 115(2), 70(1), 309(4), and 351(3) of the BNS. Four special teams were formed, and all three accused were arrested the same day. The woman was referred to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College and Hospital.

Mr. Udhayanidhi also referred to an incident in Perambur, the constituency represented by the Chief Minister, where a gang of alleged drug-peddlers allegedly vandalised cars. “We cannot accept eyewash statements issued after meetings of police officers when the people are living in fear,” he said.

Uphold law and order: EPS

Mr. Palaniswami expressed shock over the incidents and urged Mr. Vijay to uphold law and order. Among the incidents, he referred to the sexual harassment of a girl in Madurai allegedly involving a ruling TVK functionary, the alleged harassment of a college student by a TVK functionary in Chennai, and the alleged harassment of an electricity engineer by TVK functionaries at Tiruvottiyur.

The AIADMK leader also referred to reports about the death of a couple who attempted to pass through a railway subway inundated by heavy rain in Omalur in Salem district. He pointed out that the failure to clear the subway had led to the loss of two lives.

“The Chief Minister claimed that he would deliver better governance and bring about a change. But we are losing precious lives every other day. There is only disappointment with this government,” Mr. Palaniswami said. “Besides, ruling party functionaries are threatening the people, especially government employees,” he alleged. He also criticised the Chief Minister for not addressing the media through a press conference.

‘Vijay a mute spectator’

AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran criticised the government over the sexual assault of minors.  Recalling Mr. Vijay’s statement when the sexual assault of a student at Anna University was reported during DMK rule, Mr. Dhinakaran asked: “Why is Mr. Vijay remaining indifferent and acting as a mute spectator to offences against women after becoming the Chief Minister?”

BJP State president Nainar Nagenthran also criticised the TVK government. “Only the government has changed, but the woes continue,” he said.

He also criticised Mr. Vijay for having “instigated” children to press their parents to vote for him and for having assured them that he was their “uncle”, but remaining a mere “spectator” while children were being sexually assaulted. 

The BJP leader questioned whether Mr. Vijay had the competence to govern Tamil Nadu if he remained a “puppet Chief Minister” and was indifferent to issues under his government.

‘How many more lives must be lost?’

In another post, Mr. Nagenthran referred to the murder of the boy in Madurai and called for strict punishment for the culprits. He criticised the TVK and asked how many more lives must be lost before Mr. Vijay learnt the basics of governance.

“Shouldn’t Mr. Vijay focus on the law and order situation after assuming office, especially since he strongly criticised the DMK government on the same issue before the election? If he went about making accused persons Ministers, how could he ensure the safety of the people,” Mr. Nagenthran asked.