Dark reflection of failing governance, says BJP

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu BJP on Monday launched a scathing attack on the ruling DMK government, condemning the alleged gang sexual assault of a college student near Coimbatore International Airport, and accusing the State police of total administrative failure.

Expressing shock over the incident, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran said the gruesome assault had sent shockwaves across the State. "The horrific gang rape of a private college student by a mysterious group near Coimbatore airport last night is deeply disturbing. I pray for her speedy physical and mental recovery," he said in a social media post.

Blaming the DMK government for creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity, Nainar charged that "for the last four and a half years, women in Tamil Nadu have been living in constant anxiety, uncertain where the next crime will strike. Whether at home or outside, women are being hunted, while the Chief Minister, who boasts of not letting Tamil Nadu bow its head, remains unconcerned. Our mothers and sisters now fear to step out of their homes under this so-called 'model governance’,” he said.

Senior BJP leader and former governor Tamilisai Soundararajan echoed similar sentiments, calling it a "shameful reflection of the State's collapse on women's safety." She said, "The government that boasts of protecting Tamil Nadu's dignity has now brought disgrace upon it. From campuses to streets, women are living under constant threat. The Chief Minister, who claims he will not let Tamil Nadu bow, is running a dark regime where women cannot even raise their heads safely." She urged swift justice and stringent punishment for the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, BJP national general council member K Annamalai described the crime as "a grim reminder of Tamil Nadu's deteriorating law and order under the DMK rule." Accusing the government of shielding offenders and misusing the police to silence critics, he said, "The Chief Minister must hang his head in shame for allowing the police machinery to collapse so pitiably."