Coimbatore horror: EPS announces stir against failure to ensure women’s safety

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday announced a massive protest in Coimbatore on Tuesday, condemning the alleged gang rape of a college student near Coimbatore airport and the state government’s “failure to ensure women’s safety.”

In the statement, he said that on Sunday night, three unidentified men allegedly assaulted a male student and abducted his female friend while they were talking near the rear side of the airport. The assailants are said to have gang-raped the student before abandoning her behind a private college. She was rescued by police early on Monday and admitted to a private hospital.

Condemning the incident, Palaniswami questioned the state’s law-and-order situation, saying the incident had raised doubts over whether a functioning police force existed in Tamil Nadu. He said the ruling DMK had “buried women’s safety” and contrasted it with the AIADMK’s tenure, during which Tamil Nadu was “among the safest States in India for women.”

AIADMK chief said the DMK government had failed to prevent the growing number of crimes against women across the State and urged Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to ensure the culprits were arrested and punished severely.

In protest, the AIADMK’s Coimbatore district women’s wing will stage a demonstration near the Senchilluvai Sangam on Tuesday at 11 a.m. The protest will be led by former minister and women’s wing secretary Valarmathi, along with former Coimbatore Mayor Leelavathi Unni and district functionaries V Vimala and D Kannammal. Senior women leaders, former MPs and MLAs, and members of the women’s wing from across the State are expected to participate in large numbers.

Meanwhile, former Minister and senior AIADMK leader SP Velumani urged the State government to take stern action against those involved in the recent sexual assault incident in Coimbatore, calling it a reflection of the deteriorating law and order situation in Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to reporters at the AIADMK headquarters, Velumani said the people of Coimbatore were known for being peace-loving and law-abiding. “During the AIADMK regime, law and order were well maintained. The RS Puram Police Station was even recognised as one of the best police stations in India,” he said.

He alleged that under the present DMK government, law and order had deteriorated sharply, leading to an increase in crimes across the State. “Such incidents are a clear reflection of administrative failure. The government must take stringent action against those responsible and ensure justice for the victim,” he added.

Velumani also said the incident had caused widespread concern among the public and that restoring people’s confidence in the police was essential.