A reported murder in Chennai has opened a fresh political front over law and order in Tamil Nadu, with DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi launching a sharp attack on Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and invoking his past as a film star.
Kanimozhi questioned the state government’s response to a series of murder and robbery incidents and suggested that Vijay was treating the violence like scenes from a commercial film before stepping in as the “hero”.
Kanimozhi targets Vijay over murder and robbery incidents in Chennai
“Another murder in the capital city of Chennai! With such murder and robbery incidents continuing day after day, it’s impossible to avoid raising one suspicion,” Kanimozhi wrote in a post on X.
She then trained her attack directly on the Chief Minister.
“The honorable Chief Minister Mr. C. Joseph Vijay—because he is a former film hero—seems to have some plan to first watch these brutal murders unfold like entertainment in commercial movies, and then showcase his own ‘heroic adventures,’ leaving the public gripped by confusion,” her post read.
Her remarks follow Vijay’s defence of his government’s approach to crime during an address to the Tamil Nadu Assembly on September 7.
Vijay says law is equal for everyone
The Chief Minister told the Assembly that political affiliation would not shield anyone accused of committing a crime.
“I want to place on record an important point in this House – as far as the Police Department is concerned, it should be a friend to good people and an enemy to bad people. Law is equal for everyone. Whoever commits a crime, action will be taken irrespective of party lines. That is our policy,” Vijay said.
He also argued that crimes reported during the previous three months had different causes and should not be treated as a single wave of violence.
“The police should not be a power centre; they should be the protectors of the people. The crimes reported in the past three months did not happen all at once. All of them were driven by past enmity and revenge,” he said.
CM Vijay points to 36 arrests in Coimbatore student murder case
Vijay also cited the arrest of 36 people in connection with the murder of a college student in Coimbatore while speaking about policing and crime in the state.
“I want to bring a new dimension to the Police Department. 36 people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a student in Coimbatore College. There are multiple factors behind every crime. Opposition parties use such situations to blame the ruling government. As a brother to our youngsters, I am determined to put an end to the drug culture in Tamil Nadu,” the Chief Minister said.
The latest exchange puts the state’s law-and-order record back at the centre of the political confrontation, with Kanimozhi challenging Vijay’s response to the Chennai incidents days after he defended his government’s policing in the Assembly.
- C. Joseph Vijay
- Chennai
- DMK
