Chennai, Jan 27 (PTI) The opposition AIADMK on Saturday urged the police to take up round-the-clock vigil and guarantee women's safety to prevent crimes in Tamil Nadu.

Apart from taking prompt action on the complaints received, the police should initiate immediate and stern action on the offenders, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said and claimed that the availability of narcotics including ganja was a prime reason for the increase in crimes in the state.

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"I have been continuously warning about the increasing drug traffic in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu police department's 'Operation Ganja' to curb drug trafficking, did not seem to have reduced drug trafficking," the former Chief Minister said in a statement here.

Palaniswami said the law and order in Tamil Nadu has been deteriorating since the DMK came to power. He referred to the robbery at a house in Kalayarkoil, Sivaganga district, the gruesome murder of a woman for gain in Salem district, hacking to death a senior citizen in Tiruppur district, and murder of an elderly woman for her gold chain in Erode district to substantiate his case.

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"Despite seeking police protection as he was in imminent danger, a journalist was attacked by unidentified men in Tiruppur district due to the negligence of the police," Palaniswami, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said.

Police under the previous AIADMK regime had upheld law and order but the offenders became emboldened in the DMK rule as they have no fear of the law, he said.

"This is reprehensible. The police should take immediate and stern action on the offenders, take up 24-hour patrolling, guarantee the safety of women by increasing the numbers of patrol vehicles and take prompt action on the complaints received to prevent crimes," he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)