Governor sparing TVK points to secret BJP deal: Udhayanidhi Stalin

CHENNAI: Leader of the Opposition and DMK Youth Wing secretary Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday accused the ruling TVK government of a tacit understanding with the BJP, claimed law and order had deteriorated with 175 sexual offences and 65 murders reported in less than 40 days, and alleged that Chief Minister Vijay was engaged in 'panic buying' of AIADMK MLAs to shore up his government.

Talking to reporters after the Governor's address, Udhayanidhi said the Governor's Address had failed to present a clear policy roadmap and had instead become content material for Instagram reels and a platform for the Chief Minister's self-promotion.

"The Governor's Address is not the Governor's personal speech. It is the government's policy document and should serve as a blueprint for its future course. Instead, it has been reduced to a self-congratulatory exercise," he told reporters at Secretariat.

Questioning the Governor reading the address without omitting or altering a single line, Udhayanidhi alleged that it had strengthened suspicions of a discreet political understanding between the TVK government and the Centre-ruling BJP.

"During the previous five years, the Governor never read the government-prepared address in its entirety. This time, every line prepared by the government was read without any change. Naturally, doubts arise about an understanding between the ruling dispensation and the BJP, " he said.

The former Deputy Chief Minister argued that most of the achievements highlighted in the address belonged to the previous DMK regime, including Olympic training centres, skill development initiatives, the 69 per cent reservation policy, the two-language policy, opposition to the National Education Policy, the demand for pending education funds from the Union government and the Keezhadi excavation project.

"This government has merely pasted its sticker on DMK schemes while blaming the previous administration for its own failures. It is functioning as a copy-paste government," he alleged.

Claiming that the Chief Minister had nothing new to showcase after 38 days in office, Udhayanidhi said even the economic achievements recently cited by Vijay in New Delhi were products of the previous DMK government's efforts.

Launching a strong attack on the government's handling of law and order, he claimed that Tamil Nadu had recorded around 175 sexual offences, 65 murders and four caste-based honour killings within a month of the new government assuming office.

"Those who spoke passionately about women's safety during the election campaign have failed to save even members of their own party from being sexually attacked," he said.

The Opposition leader also criticised the government's decision to rename the flagship 'Naan Mudhalvan' scheme, alleging that the move was driven by political considerations because the programme had become closely associated with former Chief Minister MK Stalin.

He further described the recently released White Paper on the State's finances as a blank report, alleging that it was intended to create an escape route from fulfilling election promises. He noted that the government was yet to respond to the criticism levelled by former Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu.

Udhayanidhi also accused the ruling party of focusing on social media narratives about the Chief Minister's attire and personal habits rather than addressing pressing public issues, and criticised the playing of the National Anthem twice during the Assembly proceedings, calling it a departure from legislative convention.

Earlier, DMK MLAs led by Udhayanidhi Stalin staged a protest inside the Secretariat, outside the Assembly Hall, accusing the TVK government of presiding over a breakdown in law and order and attempting to lure opposition legislators. The legislators held placards bearing the slogan "Please Open Your Mouth, CM Sir" and raised slogans against the government before the commencement of the Assembly session.