CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday condemned the brutal attack on a 70-year-old farmer in Cuddalore district, saying the incident had shaken the conscience of the people of Tamil Nadu and reflected a grave deterioration in law and order.
In a statement, Palaniswami said visuals of the farmer running on the road while engulfed in flames stood as a horrifying testimony to the breakdown of law and order under the present DMK government.
"The people of the State were being forced to live each day in fear of what atrocity might occur next," he alleged.
Palaniswami said that whenever it appeared that law and order could not deteriorate further, even more brutal incidents were occurring under the DMK regime. What had been set on fire was not just farmer Rajendran, he said, but the law, order and safety of Tamil Nadu.
He urged the government to immediately arrest those involved in the attack and conduct a fair and transparent investigation.
He also called upon the government to ensure that the injured farmer was provided with advanced medical treatment.