Chennai, Aug 17:
The DMK staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday, alleging that the TVK government had failed to provide a satisfactory explanation over the murder of Coimbatore college student Amudhan and other issues involving sexual assault and drug-related crimes.
The Opposition MLAs walked out after refusing to accept the government’s response to the attention motion on Amudhan’s murder. The DMK alleged that the government had avoided answering the specific questions raised by the Opposition and instead repeatedly blamed the previous DMK regime.
Speaking to reporters after the walkout, Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin launched a sharp attack on the TVK government.
He alleged that the government had failed to provide a clear and proper explanation on the murder and other law-and-order concerns raised in the Assembly.
“The TVK government is talking about the DMK regime for everything without giving proper explanations or clear answers,” Udhayanidhi said.
He alleged that instead of responding to the Opposition’s questions during the discussion on the student’s murder, ministers had resorted to making allegations against the previous government.
Udhayanidhi also questioned the government’s handling of departmental responsibilities.
He alleged that ministers were not providing answers relating to their respective departments in the Assembly.
The Opposition leader particularly pointed out the absence of the minister concerned with law and order from the House during the discussion.
“The minister concerned with law and order did not come to the Assembly,” he alleged.
According to Udhayanidhi, the absence assumed significance given that the discussion centred on a student’s murder and wider concerns over law and order, sexual violence and drug abuse.
The Opposition leader said the government had failed to give a clear explanation regarding the murder of Coimbatore college student Amudhan.
The DMK had sought answers from the government during the attention motion, particularly on the circumstances surrounding the murder and the action taken by the authorities.
Udhayanidhi alleged that instead of directly addressing those concerns, the government had shifted the debate towards the record of the previous DMK administration.
The walkout followed the Opposition’s refusal to accept the government’s explanation.
The walkout came amid a broader confrontation between the ruling TVK and the DMK over law and order and drug-related crimes.