DMK Walks Out of Assembly After Heated Exchange Over Coimbatore Student's Murder; Speaker Expunges Minister's Remarks

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a heated exchange on August 17 over the murder of 19-year-old Coimbatore student Amudhan, with Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin raising the killing and arguing it should not be treated merely as a gang clash. "The government says it is against drugs, but murders are happening," Stalin said, pressing the TVK government for a clear explanation.

Responding, Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna alleged that drug culture in Tamil Nadu had risen sharply after 2020 and that increased drug abuse had contributed to a rise in sexual crimes against children, claiming cases registered under the POCSO Act had grown by 40% during the previous DMK government's tenure.

Arjuna also highlighted the current government's anti-narcotics measures, saying it had set up an Anti-Narcotics Task Force immediately after taking office, with over ₹264 crore allocated and 65 units established across the state.

Speaker JCD Prabhakar subsequently ruled that Arjuna's remarks against the Opposition could not be accepted and directed that they be expunged from the Assembly records.

As the debate turned to accusations over the handling of drug-related crime during the previous DMK regime and the present government's response, DMK members staged a walkout, alleging that ministers had failed to properly answer the specific questions raised and had instead repeatedly deflected blame onto the previous government. Speaking to reporters afterward, Stalin said the TVK government kept invoking the DMK "without giving proper explanations or clear answers."