Stalin slams Vijay govt. over law and order, rising prices; says DMK to hold protest on October 31

DMK president M.K. Stalin on Friday (October 30, 2026) accused the TVK-led government headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of “being incompetent and ruining law and order” in the State. He said criminals have absolutely no fear of the government.

To condemn the deterioration of law and order, the lack of safety for women and children, and the unprecedented rise in prices, the DMK women’s wing would organise protests at district headquarters across Tamil Nadu on Saturday (October 31), he announced.

In a video message on X, Mr. Stalin said whenever he addressed people, he would begin by asking them how they were doing. “But considering the present situation in Tamil Nadu, if I ask how are you, people will ask me whether I am making fun of them.”

Referring to the speeches made by Mr. Vijay as TVK president at public meetings before the 2026 Assembly elections, in which he had accused the DMK government of allowing law and order to deteriorate, failing to ensure the safety of women and children, and allowing crimes under the influence of narcotic substances, Mr. Stalin questioned, “What is the situation now under the government whose leader spoke punch dialogues so loudly?”

‘Major crimes have become routine’

Murders, sexual assaults, and the killing of elderly people living alone in their homes to rob them of their jewellery had become routine. Minor girls continued to go missing. Murders were taking place even in some of Chennai’s prominent neighbourhoods, including Mylapore, Adyar, and Taramani, Mr. Stalin said.

Mr. Stalin alleged those who committed murders in broad daylight in the middle of the road were leaving the scene without any panic, boarding motorcycles and autorickshaws.

“We do not know whether the Chief Minister is watching these visuals. There is reason to doubt whether these reports are even reaching him. His actions suggest that nothing of this sort is happening in Tamil Nadu. All political parties issue statements, condemn the incidents, and organise protests. But there has been no response from the Chief Minister,” he said.

“Isn’t the Chief Minister directly responsible for the Police department? Shouldn’t he answer these questions? Shouldn’t he hold review meetings with Police officials and issue appropriate directions? But none of this appears to be happening,” the DMK president charged.

Only a few Ministers were responding on behalf of all departments, and even their responses were “irresponsible”, he said. Despite being in power for nearly six months, whenever issues arose, the government seemed to turn to the DMK and blame it for everything, he alleged.

“What is particularly worrying is that nearly half of the criminal incidents involve members of the TVK. The Chief Minister need not go anywhere to restore law and order. If he simply keeps members of his own party under control, crime could be reduced considerably. Women do not need to be protected by the TVK. Rather, women need to be protected from the TVK,” he said.

Referring to the arrest of TVK functionary Boopalan by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in Nagapattinam on charges of trafficking methamphetamine, Mr. Stalin said when journalists reported the news, a TVK union secretary threatened them. “Is this what a pure force is?” Mr. Stalin asked.

“Was the money earned by Boopalan through drug trafficking used to finance the party’s election expenditure in Nagapattinam district and other districts?” he asked.

Stalin slams TVK over price rise

Referring to food inflation in the State, Mr. Stalin accused the government of polishing rice meant to be distributed free of cost under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and selling it as Grade A fine-variety rice. He also said the government had announced that onions would be sold at subsidised prices at fair price shops, but people visiting the outlets found they were out of stock.

“There was a time when the poor could only dream of buying gold. Now, they are struggling to afford even rice. During the DMK regime, we ensured that Tamil Nadu had one of the lowest inflation rates in the country. But the present government lack administrative competence across departments,” the former Chief Minister said.

“When we raise issues that affect the public, a responsible government should try to address them. But it [the TVK] activates a toolkit through a group of online abusers belonging to its IT wing. They believe it is enough to get their supporters to post abusive comments under those posts and target those who raise questions,” he said.

“He [Mr. Vijay] made grand statements about being an elder brother and an uncle. Let him discharge his responsibilities as Chief Minister first. If he performs his duties properly, how can Tamil Nadu go into reverse gear across every department? Can he point to even one department in which the TVK government has performed better than the previous DMK government? There is decline and deterioration in every department,” Mr. Stalin said.