TN School Incident: AIADMK general secretary expresses shock over student's death, asks DMK to focus on law

CHENNAI: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has expressed shock over the death of a class XII student in Thanjavur following a violent attack by his juniors, and urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin to focus on the maintenance of law and order at least in the next four months of his rule.

Referring to the incident where a violent attack on the victim by class XI students of a government school in Patteeswaram on December 7 left him dead, the Leader of Opposition said education should improve students.

"But incidents of violence are increasing under Stalin's rule in Tamil Nadu…the government has failed to contain the conflict in school, leading to the murder," Palaniswami said in a post on the social media platform 'X' on Sunday.

From farmers to traders, women to youth, everyone in the state has been affected by violence under the current DMK rule, he alleged. "The entire development of Tamil Nadu is being hampered due to the breakdown of law and order while the chief minister is immersed in self-promotion," he said and urged Stalin to focus on the "maintenance of law and order at least in the next four months of his rule."

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Assault by Class 11 students

The 17-year-old student was brutally assaulted by a group of Class 11 students with wooden logs. He was declared "brought dead" at the hospital. About 15 students who were involved in the incident have been arrested. BJP spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said it was "deeply worrisome that enmity and clashes among school students is on the rise in recent times."

In the past, the curriculum revolved around good character, discipline, respect, honesty, and integrity. Teachers who taught these values fully understood their responsibility and played a pivotal role in moulding the future of students. Students had respect for their teachers, he said on 'X'. "But in the name of progressiveness, the syllabus was changed. In the name of self-respect, discipline was not taught and all rules and regulations were flouted in the name of rights.

Negligence in teacher recruitment, bribery, corruption, irregularities, and political interference in the school education department have destroyed the next generation," Narayanan alleged. Blaming the DMK for the breakdown in law and order, he said the "Dravidian model government must be thrown out."