Chennai, Sept 8:
DMK deputy general secretary and party Parliamentary group leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi has criticised Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for referring to old commission reports during his Assembly speech instead of directly addressing Opposition questions on law and order.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport, Kanimozhi said Vijay was expected to respond to questions raised by the Opposition during the debate on the police department’s demands.
She alleged that instead of addressing concerns over law and order, crimes against women and children and other issues facing the State, the Chief Minister had spoken about old commission reports.
Kanimozhi said people expected the government to explain what steps were being taken to address the law-and-order situation.
She questioned the relevance of referring to commission reports dating back several decades, arguing that some of the reports could not be legally relied upon for taking action at present.
She alleged that the government was using the Assembly to level charges against previous administrations rather than answering questions about its own performance.
Kanimozhi also raised concerns over what she described as increasing crimes against women and children and a deteriorating law-and-order situation after Vijay assumed office.
She said that if the government was unable to provide answers to questions raised in the Assembly, it should first recognise that it was in power and responsible for administration.
“Questions raised in the Assembly should be answered,” she said, stressing that the government had a responsibility to explain its actions to the people.
Her remarks came amid an escalating political confrontation between the ruling TVK and the DMK, with both sides using Assembly debates to attack each other’s record in government.