EPS slams Vijay: 'Must people die while you learn how to govern TN?'

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) on Tuesday (June 2) strongly criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over the latter's speech in Trichy yesterday.

Speaking in Trichy as part of a "thanksgiving rally", Vijay yesterday sought to dismiss his opponents, labeling the AIADMK as a theerndhupona shakthi (a spent power). The state's political future is strictly a two-way contest between his party TVK and the DMK, he added.

Sidestepping the political insults, EPS today attacked Vijay over the alleged law-and-order issue in the state. He took to X (formerly Twitter) to launch a scathing critique of the new government that he claimed is completely out of its depth.

The central question

EPS recalled the tragic case of 23-year-old Vishnu, who was allegedly beaten to death in Tondiarpet, Chennai, for standing up against local ganja dealers. It's a direct reflection of a government that does not know how to rule, said EPS.

He demanded to know why the public should pay the ultimate price for the Chief Minister’s lack of experience. “Should people keep dying while you complete a six-month crash course on 'How to Govern'? Is no one allowed to even question this?” he asked.

EPS argued that under this new regime, speaking out against the drug menace has become a death sentence. “Is murder the only answer in this regime for questioning drug trafficking? Is this the 'change' you promised?” he asked.

'Passing the buck'

In his Trichy address, Vijay had asked people for patience, complaining that the Opposition was pinning blame on him before he had even completed a single month in power. He defended his administration by stating that he had already appointed new, capable officers to handle the state's issues.

EPS rejected this excuse entirely, pointing out that administrative shuffling does not equal leadership. "Is merely appointing them enough? Aren’t these the very same officers who work under every administration? Change must first come from the rulers," he wrote.

Also Read: 'Stalin Sir!' 10 things Vijay said in Trichy, his first public meeting as CM

EPS further stressed that it is "shameful" for Vijay, who also holds the Home portfolio, to evade responsibility for law and order. By claiming he needs more time, EPS asserted that the Chief Minister has effectively given a "confession statement" that he is helpless against the state's growing drug problem.

'Women's safety compromised'

The AIADMK leader also took aim at the government's sudden, last-minute postponement of the Singappen (Lioness) Special Task Force, an all-women police initiative meant to tackle crimes against women. "Did you compromise the safety of Tamil Nadu's women just to grace an event at your assistant's house? Should the women of Tamil Nadu remain unsafe until you launch it next week?" he asked.

According to EPS, there is a breakdown of law and order within the ruling party too. He highlighted reports from Thoothukudi, where two TVK party functionaries were recently arrested in connection with a heinous gang-rape case.

Also Read: Little on governance, plenty on politics: Decoding Vijay’s first speech as CM

How many ruling party members have been locked up for violent crimes in just the last three weeks, asked EPS: “How can someone who lacks the capability to keep his own party members in check as a party leader manage the police force? How can such a government protect the people? How will it ensure the safety of women?”

'Come out of illusions'

Concluding his statement, Palaniswami took a direct jab at Vijay’s cinematic background, calling his administration a farce. He urged the Chief Minister to realise that running a state requires actual governance, not theatrical performances.

EPS demanded that Vijay "come out of that illusionary world" where he still sees himself as a "reel hero delivering punch dialogues." Instead, he insisted that the Chief Minister must finally accept the heavy responsibility of his office and take immediate, real-world action to save the state from slipping into complete lawlessness.