Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 10 : Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami slammed the DMK government over the alleged sexual assault of a 13 year old girl in the Tambaram Government Service Home for women, alleging failure of the government.
In a post on X, Palaniswami said that the watchman, who is supposed to protect the girls in the government service home, has committed such a "heinous" act.
He also demanded a thorough investigation of whether other girls have also been sexually harassed by this watchman.
He also called the Stalin-led DMK government to ensure that the student, who suffered a leg fracture and has been admitted to the hospital, receives the necessary medical treatment.
"The news that an 8th-grade girl was subjected to sexual harassment at the Government Service Home in Tambaram, Chennai, is shocking. Reports suggest that the watchman of the hostel has been arrested for sexually harassing the girl. The fact that an 8th-grade girl is not safe even in a government-run service home reveals the complete failure of this DMK government. Puppet Chief Minister M. K. Stalin should hang his head in shame," Palaniswami said.
"The very person -- the watchman -- who is supposed to protect the girls in the government service home, has committed such a heinous act. This confirms the accusation that criminals have absolutely no fear of the consequences under this administration. The police must thoroughly investigate whether other girls have also been sexually harassed by this watchman. To the puppet Chief Minister, who mouths the scripted line that "Tamil Nadu is Out Of Control according to Delhi" -- when are you going to control the sexual "Sirs" who are truly out of control under your rule? .. It must be ensured that the student, who suffered a leg fracture and has been admitted to the hospital, receives the necessary medical treatment. Strict legal action must be taken against the watchman who has been arrested in the sexual harassment case. I urge the so-called "Stalin Model" DMK government to act firmly in this matter," he added.
https://x.com/EPSTamilNadu/status/1931963439834079470
This comes after a 13-year-old girl who has a single parent stayed in the Tambaram Government Service Home for women and she got injured when she was allegedly attempted to be sexually abused by the home watchman.
BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan said that the incident is "extremely" disheartening and deeply disturbing.
Questioning the safety of the women in Tamil Nadu, she said, "It is extremely disheartening and deeply disturbing. How many times are we compelled to comment on such horrific cases of sexual harassment in Tamil Nadu? The victim is a 13-year-old girl studying in the 8th standard, and the assault took place within a government facility by a security guard himself. What kind of monitoring is being done? What is the minister responsible for doing? Yesterday, they spoke about appointing women guards--is that really a complete solution? ... Where, then, are the women of Tamil Nadu safe?"
"When a government fails to ensure the safety of women, there must be accountability and consequences," Soundararajan told ANI .