TVK and DMK Clash in Assembly Over Narcotics and Law Enforcement

A heated debate erupted in the Legislative Assembly in Chennai on Monday as the ruling TVK and opposition DMK traded charges over the prevalence of narcotics and enforcement actions across the state.

Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin initiated the discussion by presenting a series of allegations against the administration. He raised questions regarding the arrests of ruling party functionaries in connection with drug-related offences and questioned the government over past actions involving Minister for Human Resources Management D Sharathkumar.

Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned what steps had been taken regarding a video that showed Sharathkumar crushing a white substance with a bank card during an IPL match. Sharathkumar had previously stated that he was powdering a tablet to administer medication to his sick child.

Sharathkumar responded in the House by asking whether the DMK would take responsibility for narcotics sales during its tenure, noting that the DMK was in power at the time of the match incident. He stated that he had already clarified the matter before the House and argued there was no need to revisit it.

During the exchanges, Speaker J C D Prabhakar asked if evidence had been submitted to support the allegations made during the discussion.

DMK member and former minister K N Nehru also intervened, referencing a pending court matter. Minister for Public Works Department and Sports Aadhav Arjuna responded by highlighting the performance of the government, stating that the TVK's 100-day rule had set the groundwork for long-term governance.

The discussion also focused on the recent deaths of two students, Amuthan and Dhanush, who died in alleged drug-related conflicts, an issue raised by the DMK that sparked the debate. Arjuna addressed the remarks regarding police reports, stating that if a choice had to be made between the families of the deceased students and the police, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay would stand with the families.

Udhayanidhi Stalin further noted that when drug-related charges were brought against party functionary Jaffar Sadhik in the past, the DMK had promptly expelled him, and questioned whether the TVK had initiated similar disciplinary action against its own members.