Law and order worsened during DMK rule in Tamil Nadu: EPS

CHENNAI: AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Wednesday alleged that the situation in Tamil Nadu had worsened during the 16-month DMK rule, with the deterioration of law and order and a surge in crimes like sexual assault. He sought to know whether the police were keeping under watchful eyes the 2,390 rowdy elements, from whom an undertaking was obtained recently before being let off.
Palaniswami was reacting to the director general of police’s statement that 705 rowdies were arrested in the 72 hours since the launch of “Operation Minnal (Lightening)” to hunt the rowdy elements. The 2,390 rowdies had given an undertaking that they would not indulge in anti-social activities.
“Such scenes will be enacted whenever the legislative assembly is convened,” EPS charged. He said that women were unable to walk in the streets and the unruliness of the DMK partymen had gone too far, while the chief minister had explicitly made known at the party meeting his inability to rein in his partymen.
Taking a dig at the DGP’s statement that rowdies had run away to neighbouring states due to the operation, Palaniswami pointed to the incident of robbery in the ancestor house of an inspector general of police in Uthukottai in Tiruvallur district. “How the robbers and rowdies, who ran away to neighbouring states, turn up at the IG’s house remains a mystery,” the former CM said, adding that the police had to explain the mystery behind letting off 2,390 rowdies and the chief minister, who holds the portfolio of police should maintain law and order.