CHENNAI: MDMK leader Vaiko on Tuesday hit out at opposition leaders and some of the TVK’s alliance partners, particularly the VCK, for repeatedly criticising chief minister C Joseph Vijay’s govt over the law and order situation and a spate of murders.“The minute the sun raises, the leaders of the oppositions and allies start attacking the TVK govt. They cannot have their breakfast without criticising the present administration. Interestingly, one of the alliance parties, which is part of the cabinet in present govt, is also criticising the govt. Only MDMK and IUML did not criticise the govt,” Vaiko said. His remarks came close on the heels of 13 murders being reported across the state in a single day, triggering widespread criticism from opposition leaders as well as some of the ruling party’s allies.Citing a report by NGO People’s Watch, Vaiko listed the number of murders and other heinous crimes reported over the past 34 years, spanning the tenures of former chief ministers J Jayalalithaa, M Karunanidhi, O Panneerselvam, Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin.He also recalled several major incidents, including the Vachathi gang rape of tribal women, the massacre of dalits at Melavalavu, the killing of 13 people in police firing during the Sterlite protest, the custodial deaths of a father and son at Sathankulam and the sexual assault of an engineering college student in Chennai.Taking a dig at Palaniswami and leader of the opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin for describing Vijay as an inefficient administrator, Vaiko accused the former chief minister of acting at the behest of the Sterlite plant’s owners and being responsible for the police firing that killed 13 people, including a school student.
