Get out of celebration mode: Annamalai attacks Vijay as twin murder rocks Tamil Nadu

It seems the honeymoon period is over, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is facing his first big test. Within 15 days of the TVK-led coalition government taking charge, Tamil Nadu witnessed two brutal crimes against minors. Opposition leaders, including BJP's Annamalai, are targeting CM Vijay over the murder of a 17-year-old boy near Meenakshi temple in Madurai, and the rape-cum-murder of a 10-year-old girl in Coimbatore.

A TVK minister's response to the Coimbatore rape-cum-murder and jovial police officers ahead of a media briefing, videos of which went viral, on the crime added fuel to the fire. The barrage of attacks forced Vijay to use a fast-tracked Pocso case to defend his government.

Former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai slammed the TVK government led by CM Vijay over the two grisly crimes. Annamalai claimed that the new government was "yet to emerge from its celebratory mood".

"Drug peddlers, sexual assaulters, and murderers have a free pass in Tamil Nadu. The State police seem to have learnt no lessons from the past, and the new TVK government is yet to emerge from its celebratory mode and confront the grim realities unfolding on the ground," Annamalai posted on X.

Annamalai's post came on Monday (May 25) after a minor, A Gubendran, was stabbed to death by a gang of five at the Madurai Corporation's shopping complex in the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple.

On May 22, Annamalai urged the Vijay-led government and the Tamil Nadu police department to take immediate action against the brutal rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl near Sulur in Coimbatore district.

"It is deeply concerning that the same unsafe environment for women and children that prevailed during the previous DMK regime continues even now. The TVK government has been in power for about two weeks. Amid the inauguration festivities, Chief Minister Thiru Vijay must remember that he is in a situation where he needs to immediately take stringent measures for the protection of women and children," Annamalai wrote on X.

UDHAYANIDHI STALIN ATTACKS VIJAY WITH UP REFERENCE

Not only Annamalai, but several other opposition leaders have questioned CM Vijay on his election campaign promise, in which he said his government would focus heavily on protecting women and children in the state.

"Respected Chief Minister Sir, Is this Tamil Nadu, or Uttar Pradesh?" Tamil Nadu Assembly's Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned Vijay on X. He further asked why Vijay, who spoke heroic words before the elections, is now refusing to open his mouth?

"Under the rule of those who spoke about change, Tamil Nadu’s law and order situation has deteriorated. After the murder of a girl in Sulur, there has now been a sexual assault of a girl in Villupuram district. The body of the Sulur girl was cremated without informing her mother. A boy was murdered near a temple in Madurai, and a petrol bomb was hurled at the house of a woman in Coimbatore," Udhayanidhi posted on Monday.

AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) also questioned the seriousness of the TVK government on law and order issues after the Coimbatore sexual assault case.

"Is the current Vijay's government another DMK government in destroying women's safety? Where is the safety for women and girl children in Tamil Nadu?" EPS said. He also reminded Vijay of his election promises and asked him to take strict action against crime.

Tamil Nadu BJP President Nainar Nagenthran also attacked Vijay, claiming that the Tamil Nadu chief minister has become a spectator while children are being killed.

"Whichever children Joseph Vijay incited by urging their parents to cast votes for him, whichever children he manipulated by delivering sentimental lines like "I am your uncle", it is a perverse trait that he finds amusement in watching those very children get ensnared daily by sexual predators and torn apart," Nagenthran posted on X.

ROW OVER TVK MINISTER'S REACTION ON COIMBATORE RAPE-MURDER

A major controversy erupted after Tamil Nadu Industries Minister Keerthana declined to answer questions on the Coimbatore minor's rape and murder while speaking to journalists after an official meeting on Sunday.

When asked about the incident, Keerthana said she would respond only to "administrative questions", prompting criticism from the BJP, which alleged that she appeared to be smiling during the conversation.

"We have a woman minister who was all smiles when asked about this tragic murder of a 10-year-old child. She said she would only take questions on administrative matters and laughed it off," BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam alleged.

Selvam further criticised the minister for later posting on social media that she naturally smiles, calling the response insensitive towards the people of Tamil Nadu.

After the controversy surrounding Minister Keerthana's reaction, another video added to the pressure on the Vijay-led government. A clip from a joint police press conference on the murder of the 10-year-old girl showed senior police official R V Ramya Bharathi smiling and gesturing moments before addressing the media.

The visuals triggered fresh criticism, with many questioning the sensitivity of officials while discussing a crime involving a minor. The episode further put the TVK government on the defensive, especially since the Home Ministry, which oversees the police department, is directly handled by Chief Minister Vijay.

VIJAY-LED TVK GOVERNMENT'S DAMAGE CONTROL ATTEMPT

Amid criticism from opposition leaders over law and order in Tamil Nadu, CM Vijay cited a recent Pocso case to defend the state government's response to crimes against women and children. Referring to the case on X, Vijay said justice had been delivered within just three months of the incident, calling the verdict a strong endorsement of swift action under the law.

The case involved a class 12 student from Vilathikulam in Thoothukudi district who was allegedly sexually assaulted and murdered in March. On Tuesday, the Thoothukudi District Pocso Court sentenced the accused, Dharma Muniswaran, to a double death penalty for rape and murder after an expedited trial.

In his statement on Monday, Vijay noted that the investigation examined 71 witnesses and praised the speed with which the case was concluded. "Justice has been delivered at an unprecedented speed within three months of this heinous incident," he wrote, adding that the verdict was "commendable" and served as strong support for measures aimed at ensuring the protection of women and children.

Chief Minister Vijay is facing the first big test, which has to do with the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. After an astounding victory in its debut election, the TVK has to deliver on its promises, including on the safety of children and the elderly.