CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government is engaged in weeding out anti-social elements, and the law-and-order situation in the state is good, Law Minister S Regupathy asserted on Monday.

Denying the opposition AIADMK's allegation that there is an increase in crimes, he said the government is taking effective steps to curb crimes and criminal activities.

"AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has come up with a new accusation that Tamil Nadu is becoming a state for murders. I wish to say that the maintenance of law and order is good and that the government is engaged in weeding out anti-social elements," Regupathy told reporters here.

The minister contended that the motives of the murders referred to by the AIADMK leader were personal reasons, including vengeance or previous enmity.

"Law and order has not deteriorated in the state; it is well maintained," Regupathy insisted.

His remarks come in the wake of allegations by political parties regarding the recent murders of political party functionaries. The police had claimed that the killings were carried out over personal motives.

Condemning the murder of AIADMK ward councillor Baktha alias Padmanathan in Cuddalore, Palaniswami told reporters on July 28 that murders have become the order of the day in the state.

"Not a single day passes without an incident of murder. Law and order has deteriorated and Tamil Nadu is becoming a state of murders," he said.

The ruling DMK's ally, the Congress, also condemned the killing of its cadre Jackson in Thiruvattar in Kanyakumari district.

In other such incidents, BJP party functionary Selvakumar was killed in Sivaganga on July 28 and Bahujan Samaj Party state chief K Armstrong was brutally killed by a bike-borne armed gang here on July 5.