'A curse for Tamil Nadu': opposition turns on TVK as law-and-order protests spread

Six months into its first term, the TVK government is facing a converging attack on the ground it once claimed as its own: public safety. In Dharapuram on 4 October, AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran told reporters that a TVK government under Chief Minister Vijay would be 'a curse for Tamil Nadu', comparing its impact to the El Nino weather pattern. He blamed the Chief Minister for the Dharapuram byelection itself, alleging the seat fell vacant because an elected representative resigned, and demanded strict Election Commission action against those who resign shortly after being elected.

Dhinakaran also questioned the government's mandate-building, alleging that support had been secured through promises, and mocked the Chief Minister's roadshow campaign style, asking what those who delivered political change in 1967 and 1977 would make of the present leadership. The remarks landed in a constituency that has become a bypoll battleground, where questions about why voters must return to the booths so soon after a general verdict have followed the ruling party from village to village.

Separately, the BJP held protests against the state government condemning the crime rate and what it called deteriorating law and order. BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said it was painful that girl children were not safe in Tamil Nadu and that the Chief Minister was 'not at all reacting', adding that the party would continue its protests over crimes against women and children. The BJP's speakers also alleged attempts to negotiate with opposition cadres and asked why a byelection was needed in the sixth month of the government's term.

Taken together, the attacks mark a shift. The government was elected promising a clean break and personal credibility in place of established parties. Its critics, from rival Dravidian formations to the BJP, are now testing the same charge from different directions: that visibility has replaced administration, and that on the everyday questions of safety, policing and accountability, the state is being run on announcements while the street keeps its own ledger. Whether the government answers with governance or with spectacle will define its second six months.