Chennai, March 24:
The war of words between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam intensified on Monday, with the latter launching a sharp attack on state minister S. Regupathy over remarks related to police deaths.
In a strongly worded statement, the AIADMK questioned whether the DMK had any āmoral standingā to speak about custodial deaths, citing multiple such incidents reported since 2021 under the leadership of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin.
Referring to the recent verdict in the Sathankulam custodial deaths case, the AIADMK said justice was delivered due to actions taken during its tenure, including transferring the probe to the CBI.
The party claimed that the groundwork laid by the previous government ensured accountability in the case.
The opposition party accused the DMK government of failing to curb custodial violence, alleging that over 30 such deaths had occurred during its rule. It demanded to know what concrete steps had been taken to prevent such incidents.
The AIADMK also referred to specific cases, including the death of Vignesh, and alleged that the government had downplayed serious incidents. It further criticised the handling of other custodial death cases, claiming attempts were made to avoid deeper investigation.
The statement also took a direct swipe at Minister Regupathy, accusing him of routinely defending the DMK government while ignoring alleged excesses by the police.
As Tamil Nadu heads toward the 2026 Assembly elections, the exchange highlights how law and orderāparticularly custodial deathsāhas emerged as a key political flashpoint between the ruling DMK and the opposition AIADMK.
With both sides trading charges, the issue is expected to remain central to the campaign narrative in the coming weeks.