CHENNAI: Following the alleged gang rape of a young woman on the campus of Government Arts and Science College in Nandanam, the BJP on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the DMK government.
The saffron party noted that the incident was yet another grim marker of "breakdown of law and order and women's safety" in Tamil Nadu.
In a statement, BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran said Tamil Nadu was witnessing a disturbing pattern of sexual crimes under the DMK regime. Referring to a recent crime involving the wife of a migrant worker in Taramani, he said that before the wounds of that brutal incident could heal, reports emerged of a young woman employed as a canteen helper being sexually assaulted within a college campus.
"Such a crime allegedly occurring inside an educational institution is shocking and deeply distressing," the BJP leader said.
Questioning the government's claims on governance, Nainar asked whether educational spaces meant to uphold values and safety were being allowed to turn into dens of predators. He alleged that despite repeated assurances by Chief Minister MK Stalin on cracking down on crimes against women, sexual violence in the State had risen to unprecedented levels.
Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan linked the surge in violent crimes to the growing menace of narcotics. "While the Chief Minister speaks of struggle, the reality is that everyday life itself has become a struggle for the people. This is not a political comment, but an expression of shock," she said.
BJP general council member K Annamalai said the reported assault of a 22-year-old woman working in the college canteen had exposed the fragile state of women's safety even within educational institutions. "The DMK government must first acknowledge the hard truth that women are not safe in Tamil Nadu. Only then can corrective measures be planned," he said, alleging official apathy and a failure to act firmly against offenders.
Calling for strict and swift action against those involved, BJP leaders warned that public confidence would erode further unless the government demonstrated zero tolerance towards crimes against women.