“Government functions with large number of people are conducted without any problem. Even the Ministers and MLAs participate in functions without getting any permission and no actions were taken against them,” said VCK MP D Ravikumar.

“If cases for violating prohibitory orders had to be filed it should be done against every Minister who is conducting meetings with hundreds of party workers. The state should act impartially in implementing the rule,” said L Murugan, BJP state president.

Though, recently, the state announced various relaxations, the prohibitory rules were not altered. Parties claim that the rule is only to prevent opposition from conducting meetings.

“Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, in government functions, announces that members of opposition parties had to get COVID-19 negative certificate, but the rule does not apply for ruling party functionaries,” alleged Ravikumar.

Even the DMK did not escape as a case for violating prohibitory orders was filed against former Minister K Ponmudi. Apart from opposition, even BJP, one of the allies of AIADMK, had been affected by the prohibitory order rule as three cases were filed against its functionaries for violating lockdown rules, in the last one week.