Chennai: Coming down heavily on the state government for oppressive measures against the anti-liquor protesters, Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin on Saturday urged Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami to hold negotiations with women agitating against the Tasmac shops and close those shops opposed by them.
Under the pretext of maintaining law and order situation, police are violating the human rights of women resorting to lathicharge on women and dragging them to police vans, he said. The AIADMK government had not advised the police department against human rights violations, Stalin complained.
Despite promising to introduce prohibition in a phased manner, the government is refusing to close TASMAC shops near temples, markets and educational institutions. The government is not respecting democratic protests, Stalin accused.
The police department is rudderless due to the administrative incapability of the Chief Minister and there is no proper guidance for police officials working on the ground. Police officials working at IG and DGP level had not been given promotions and law and order had totally detiorated. There are frequent instances of custodial deaths, murder of the accused and deaths in prison, besides murders and mysterious accidents, he said.
Stalin condemned the police attacks on anti-TASMAC protesters in Vellore and Tiruppur and asked if the police is under the control of the Chief Minister or not.
PMK founder S. Ramadoss too flayed the oppressive measures of the police against women protesting against liquor. The government should realise that the agitations could not be quelled by oppressions and close the TASMAC shops opposed by the people.
