Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K.S. Alagiri on Thursday said the State government had failed to focus on necessary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 but was diverting attention by reopening TASMAC outlets in the State.

Talking to reporters after staging a demonstration at his native Keerapalayam near Chidambaram on Thursday, he said the reopening of the shops would play havoc, and all the efforts made by police, health and frontline workers these 40 days to contain COVID-19 would go for a toss.

Mr. Alagiri said that reopening of liquor shops from Thursday would lead to law and order problems and also lead to an increase in domestic violence in the State.

The Kerala government has not taken any steps to reopen liquor shops during the lockdown. But the Tamil Nadu government on the other hand, has been indulging in ‘anti-people’ measures, he said.

Hitting out at the Narendra Modi headed BJP government at the Centre, Mr. Alagiri said that the Union Government had let down Tamil Nadu by not granting any funds to tackle the crisis.

The State government has not come forward to meet the requirements of migrants stranded here but was spending on barricades and other infrastructure for reopening of Tasmac shops. This is a clear case of wasteful expenditure, he charged.