Chennai: Chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday warned that personal attacks, double-meaning comments and derogatory remarks targeting women would invite uncompromising legal action , while asserting that political criticism, however harsh, should not cross the limits of public decency.
Reiterating the govt’s zero-tolerance approach to crime, Vijay said 36 people had been arrested in connection with the recent murder of a student in Coimbatore.
The police, he said, should inspire confidence among law-abiding people while acting as a strong deterrent to offenders. He said law enforcement would function without political interference and that all citizens would be treated equally before the law irrespective of their political affiliation. Lack of family support, peer pressure, social media exposure, substance abuse and poor awareness of the law were among the factors that could push youngsters towards crime, he said.
The govt, he added, was open to constructive criticism from legislators on improving policing and governance. At the same time, he cautioned against branding the entire student community over crimes involving young people.
Referring to former chief minister J Jayalalithaa , Vijay said the treatment meted out to her in the House in 1989 was among its darkest episodes and stressed that such incidents should never recur.
Abusing women, making defamatory remarks and using words with double-meaning is wrong,” Vijay said. His remarks came weeks after leader of the opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin was arrested and released on station bail over making “double-meaning” comments while addressing DMK workers during a protest over Cauvery water. He said women had played a decisive role in his political victory and he would not tolerate abusive language directed at them. Turning to law and order, Vijay said a state’s progress could not be measured merely by roads, factories and other infrastructure, but also by the safety and freedom citizens experienced in their daily lives.
“To those who disrespect our people and speak in a degrading manner under the guise of politics, my request is: please don’t do that. Recently, in Tamil Nadu , it seems as though a river of vulgarity and hatred is continuously flowing.