Chennai, 11/7:Dismissing Opposition’s accusation that the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu has deteriorated, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday said he was “very much” satisfied with the performance of the police department but stressed that the “next one year” was very crucial, in an apparent reference to the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Stalin’s remarks came during a law and review meeting chaired by him at the Secretariat, a day after AIADMK and PMK accused the government of failing to maintain peace in the state, pointing to a “rapid increase” in the number of murders and burglaries in Tamil Nadu. Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami had on Monday said the state witnessed at least 15 murders in two days and appealed to Stalin to allow the police to function independently.
Maintaining that the state was “peaceful”, Stalin told police officers to ensure that strict action is taken against drug peddlers to ensure that Tamil Nadu is “free of drugs.” Singling out usage of drugs as the prime reason for crimes like murder and sexual assault on women, Stalin asked Superintendents of Police (SPs) to work towards eliminating drug usage from their districts.