Chennai, Aug 30 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nainar Nagenthran has urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take immediate steps to curb alcohol and drug abuse, alleging that the growing menace is endangering young people and threatening public safety across the state.
His remarks followed the murder of Thanigasalam, a Hindu Munnani functionary, near the old bus stand in Rajapalayam.
According to Nagenthran, Thanigasalam was waiting for a bus when a group of allegedly intoxicated youths chased him and brutally stabbed him outside a police station.
In a post on social media platform X, the BJP leader described the incident as heartbreaking and conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved family.
He said the killing had once again exposed the serious deterioration of law and order and the growing boldness of criminals in Tamil Nadu.
Nagenthran alleged that Chief Minister Vijay, who projected himself as a “pure force” before coming to power, had failed to prevent the state from falling under the grip of what he termed a “drug force”.
He said the TVK government had repeatedly highlighted its decision to close 717 TASMAC liquor outlets after assuming office.
However, the measure had neither significantly reduced alcohol consumption among young people nor brought down crimes linked to alcohol and narcotic substances, he claimed.
The BJP leader also alleged that criminals no longer feared the police or the law-enforcement machinery.
Videos circulating on social media over the past three months reportedly showed alcohol bottles and drugs being used openly by men, women and even school students, the State BJP Chief said.
Nagenthran accused the Chief Minister and his Ministers of paying greater attention to producing social media reels than to addressing the real problems faced by the people.
The state government’s publicity campaigns had not translated into effective action on the ground, he alleged.
He also criticised the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagham (TVK) government for spending time making what he called irrelevant allegations against opposition parties instead of concentrating on governance and public safety.
Nagenthran called upon the Chief Minister Vijay to strengthen policing, intensify action against drug networks and introduce measures to prevent alcohol and narcotic substances from reaching young people.
The state government must treat the issue as an urgent social and law-and-order challenge, he said, adding that decisive intervention was necessary to safeguard the future of Tamil Nadu’s youth and restore public confidence.
–IANS
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