Chennai, Nov 13 (IANS): AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) has condemned the stabbing incident of a senior doctor at Kalaignar Centenary Hospital, highlighting the failure of law and order in Tamil Nadu.

In a post on the social media platform X, EPS stated, “The shocking incident of Dr. Balaji being stabbed in broad daylight by unknown assailants underscores the failed law and order situation in Tamil Nadu. Just days earlier, on November 5, at Trichy ESI Hospital, a six-member gang attacked government doctor Muthu Karthikeyan. The fact that even government doctors are unsafe in government hospitals highlights the state of law and order under this regime.”

EPS also noted a rise in similar incidents, emphasising that the deteriorating law and order situation has created an environment where heinous crimes are committed without fear across the state.

The incident involved a 25-year-old man named Vignesh, who entered Dr. Balaji Jagannathan’s outpatient department and repeatedly stabbed him. Vignesh reportedly claimed that his mother, Prema, who was a patient of Dr. Balaji, was suffering from acute pain due to inadequate treatment.

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and Tamil superstar Vijay also criticised the DMK government, stating that he had previously warned of an escalating crime rate in the state.

Referring to the attack on Dr. Balaji, Vijay remarked that it reflected a worsening law and order situation in Tamil Nadu.

State BJP Chief Annamalai joined the chorus, holding the state government responsible for failing to address the rising criminal activity.

In a post on X, he stated: “Despite repeated assaults on doctors, nurses, and hospital staff, the DMK government has not taken any action. Each time an incident like this occurs, the Chief Minister promises action but ultimately does nothing. This raises serious concerns about public safety.”

BJP leader and former Governor of Telangana, Tamilisai Soundararajan, also voiced her concerns, stating: “I pray for the speedy recovery of the doctor. Before engaging in any blame game, I want to emphasise the need to ensure the protection of doctors. This is not the first incident; such incidents have repeatedly happened in Tamil Nadu. A few days ago, another doctor was assaulted. There is no protection for doctors in Tamil Nadu.”

She added that this incident underscores the insecurity faced by doctors in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu and questioned why only Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi visited the hospital, while Chief Minister Stalin did not.