Chennai, March 20
The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday witnessed a fiery exchange between Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) over the state’s law and order situation.

The confrontation arose after the opposition raised concerns about four consecutive murders that occurred in the state on a single day - March 19.

Palaniswami accused the government of failing to maintain law and order, demanding immediate answers. In response, Stalin acknowledged the incidents but emphasised that the government had taken prompt action.

"I am not denying that these incidents took place. The question is whether the government has acted, and we have," he asserted.

As the debate intensified, the Chief Minister challenged Palaniswami, who was preparing to stage a walkout, to stay and listen to his response "if he had the guts".

Following this, AIADMK members, led by Palaniswami, walked out in protest.

However, expelled AIADMK leader and former Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam did not join them.

Earlier, when Palaniswami sought to raise the issue after Question Hour, Speaker M. Appavu deferred the discussion, stating that it had been brought to his attention only in the morning. However, the Leader of the Opposition insisted on an immediate discussion, calling it a matter of urgency.

Leader of the House, Duraimurugan, supported the Speaker’s stance, arguing that ministers needed adequate time to prepare their responses. However, Stalin intervened and urged the Speaker to allow Palaniswami to present his concerns.

While addressing the issue, Palaniswami also levelled allegations against the government and the Speaker and Duraimurugan reminded him to stay focused on the topic at hand.

Following this, the AIADMK MLAs staged a walkout, accusing the Speaker of suppressing their voices.

In his reply, Stalin countered Palaniswami’s accusations by recalling past incidents of police excesses under the AIADMK regime, such as the Thoothukudi police firing, which claimed 14 lives, and the custodial deaths in Sathankulam.

"Mr Palaniswami is leaving now because he does not want to hear the details in my response," he remarked.

The Chief Minister argued that social media had amplified the perception of law and order deterioration, whereas official statistics showed a decline in crime rates since the DMK took office in 2021. Providing details on a recent murder in Erode, he stated that the victim, John alias Chanakya, was a history-sheeter who was killed as part of a revenge attack. Police identified the culprits and opened fire when the suspects attempted to attack officers. Four suspects sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at a Coimbatore hospital, he added.

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Heated exchange in TN Assembly between Stalin, Palaniswami over law and order situation in state