Chennai, 15 June

Opposition parties in Tamil Nadu on Monday hit out at the state government over the horrific rape and murder of a child in Tiruvallur district and deterioration in law and order across the state.

Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin said that crimes previously read about as distant news are now becoming a daily reality in Tamil Nadu under what he labelled the "Sofa Model" government.

"The chief minister, who used children as tools to illegally solicit votes during the election campaign, is continuously failing to protect them. If this trend continues, the DMK will not hesitate to hit the streets and mobilise the public," Udhayanidhi stated on his official 'X' handle.

His remarks come following the tragic death of a three-year-old girl, the child of migrant labourers, near the SIPCOT industrial complex in Gummidipoondi.

According to police, the child was lured by her neighbour into a secluded spot where she was raped.

The incident occurred on the night of 14 June. The child succumbed to injuries at Stanley Hospital on Monday.

Meanwhile, police clarified that the three-year-old was not gangraped.

Only one perpetrator was involved in the crime, Tiruvallur district police said in a release on Monday afternoon.

A 19-year-old migrant worker from Bihar was arrested for allegedly subjecting the three-year-old girl to sexual assault, police said.

The victim, daughter of a migrant worker couple also hailing from Bihar, tragically succumbed to severe injuries at the Government Stanley Hospital here on Monday morning.

Expressing deep shock, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami also took to 'X' to slam the chief minister's "six-month trial period" rhetoric.

"How many more women and girls must lose their safety and lives before your trial period ends? Stop this show-performance politics, understand the seriousness of the situation, and take immediate legal action," he said.

CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam, whose party is extending support to the TVK government, insisted that the police do a thorough investigation into the incident, strengthen police patrolling and install CCTV cameras.

Shanmugam, pointing to another case involving a seven-year-old in Poonamallee, who was raped by a cab driver recently, said these incidents "have shaken Tamil Nadu itself."

Tamil Nadu BJP chief Nainar Nagenthran demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, alleging a total collapse of law and order following a string of brutal sexual assaults across the state, including the murder of a three-year-old girl.

The BJP would hold a massive protest in Chennai on 18 June, condemning the law and order situation in the state, he said.

"This chief minister is a spineless CM. The chief minister, who has failed to protect the law after taking it into his hands (Home portfolio), must resign immediately," Nagenthran said.

Speaking to reporters after visiting the family of the girl at Stanley Medical College Hospital here, the BJP chief claimed that within 48 hours, the state had witnessed 20 sexual assaults and 15 POCSO cases, including incidents in Sankarankovil, Perambur and Poonamallee, alongside a shocking case in Sivagangai where a female armed reserve police personnel was allegedly harassed.

"This is a shameful, purely cosmetic administration. The chief minister talks with bulging veins on screen, but where is he now? This three-year-old child's parents cannot speak the local language, and the police have forcibly taken their thumbprints even before the post-mortem report is out," Nagendran alleged.

Meanwhile, emphasising the urgent need for preventative safety regulations, former TN BJP chief K Annamalai questioned what definitive steps the Tamil Nadu government is taking to stop these horrific crimes before they occur, rather than simply reacting after the fact.

The former IPS officer urged the state government to mandate and systematically monitor a comprehensive registry, requiring all employers to submit complete background details—including native hometowns, current workplaces, and residential accommodations—for every migrant labourer arriving in the state.

AMMK general secretary TTV Dhinakaran questioned how long the state must tolerate such deterioration in law and order, adding that while asking for time for development projects might be justified, controlling crime requires wartime measures.

PMK chief Dr Anbumani Ramadoss attributed the Gummidipoondi atrocity directly to the rampant, unchecked movement of illicit drugs like ganja.

In a statement, he criticised the police for failing to secure the area despite a similar horrific assault on a fourth-grade girl occurring in nearby Arambakkam last July. Ramadoss demanded the death penalty for the perpetrators.

The opposition leaders also ridiculed the newly launched "Singappen Special Force" -- a dedicated women's protection wing launched by the TVK government.

"It is a complete cinematic gimmick. The Gummidipoondi incident came to light this morning, and hours later, not a single member of this force or a female police officer had visited the grieving mother," Nagendran claimed.