AIADMK co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami said on Tuesday that questions had been raised over the security of people in Chennai in the light of reports of 18 murders in 20 days.
In a series of tweets, he said law and order in the city had “deteriorated”. Instead of setting right the situation, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was making “all-out efforts to suppress” the views of the press. There were apprehensions over the future of Tamil Nadu, he said.
AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran referred to a reported letter written by Telugu Desam Party leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to Mr. Stalin on the illegal movement of rice, meant for the public distribution system, through the Andhra Pradesh-Tamil Nadu border for sale in Karnataka. He asked Mr. Stalin why no steps were taken to stamp out the problem of smuggling when new norms were being enforced for the poor to get essentials at fair price shops.
Mr. Stalin should not only give a proper answer to Mr. Naidu but should also take steps to eliminate the problem, he said.