M. Veerapandian. File
| Photo Credit: Bijoy Ghosh
Communist Party of India (CPI) State secretary M. Veerapandian on Monday (July 6, 2026) said that the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government should not compromise on ensuring the safety of women and children.
“Sexual crimes against women and children cannot be accepted, and the Left parties have consistently opposed such crimes. The government, the police, and the intelligence unit have an added responsibility to ensure the safety of women and children,” Mr. Veerapandian said.
Speaking to journalists in Tiruchi, he said that, as far as the CPI was concerned, the newly formed TVK government could take time to implement the promises it had made in the run-up to the Assembly election. However, there should be no delay when it comes to addressing issues concerning law and order in the State. The government and the police should deal with such crimes with an iron hand, Mr. Veerapandian said, while answering a question on the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu since the TVK formed the government.
On the Mekedatu issue, the CPI leader said the Centre should not remain a mute spectator. The Karnataka government’s proposed construction of a drinking water-cum-balancing reservoir across the Cauvery at Mekedatu would raise questions about the country’s unity. Farmers in the State were facing a water crisis, and therefore the Karnataka government should release water to Tamil Nadu, he said.
He said the CPI welcomed, on humanitarian grounds, the TVK government’s decision, which would be formalised during Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s visit to Karur on July 10, to provide government jobs to one member of each family that had lost a loved one in the Karur stampede last year. The CPI will undertake a nationwide padayatra from August 6 to 15 to reach out to the people, focusing on various socio-economic and political issues, including rural distress, he said.
Published – July 06, 2026 03:13 pm IST
