Chennai, 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. 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. 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. Public Works and Sports Minister Aadhav Arjuna stated that the government remained unbiased and focuses on supporting the victims’ families rather than shielding officials.
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 ₹ 88 crore corruption scandal involving recruitment in his department during the previous DMK rule.
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.
