Edappadi K. Palaniswami. File | Photo Credit: E. Lakshmi Narayanan AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay on Thursday (March 12, 2026) expressed shock over the alleged sexual assault and murder of a 17-year-old girl at Vedanatham in Thoothukudi district and condemned the DMK government for failing to act promptly to ensure safety of women. In a post on X, Mr. Palaniswami said, “Sexual violence against women and the lack of their safety have become routine in Tamil Nadu. Even after relatives of the girl filed a police complaint saying that she was missing, the police did not take prompt action and acted negligently,” he alleged. Referring to the protest by the girl’s family members, Mr. Palaniswami said, “If the culprits are identified and arrested immediately, the relatives will end their protest. Why should a DMK MLA come forward to hold peace talks? Is the DMK government trying to hide something, dilute the case, or protect the culprits?” he questioned. In a separate post on X, Mr. Vijay accused Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of focusing only on retaining the alliance and failing to ensure law and order in the State. He said in the last one week there had been several instances of negligence in security and incidents of violence in various places. “There is no safety for women, children, the elderly, the youth, or members of the general public. How can Mr. Stalin remain silent after seeing all this?” he questioned, adding that the people of Tamil Nadu were ready to send the DMK out of power. Published – March 12, 2026 12:20 pm IST Share this: Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email More Click to print (Opens in new window) Print Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Like this:Like Loading... Post navigation UK watchdogs press Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube to block children LPG shortage: Dosa goes off menu in many hotels in Shivamogga