Chennai, Jan 6 (IANS) PMK founder S. Ramadoss has called upon Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to take immediate responsibility and order the closure of government-run liquor shops located near public spaces, citing a sharp rise in alcohol-related violence, social unrest, and threats to women’s safety.

In a strongly worded statement, Ramadoss said the State government could no longer evade accountability by claiming helplessness. He pointed to a recent incident on January 2 near Senji in Villupuram district, where a 22-year-old man, allegedly intoxicated after consuming alcohol at a nearby TASMAC shop, entered a woman’s house and created a disturbance.

When police personnel from the Senji police station arrived to intervene, one constable was reportedly assaulted by the youth.

Ramadoss said such incidents reflect how alcohol consumption is transforming ordinary individuals into violent offenders, leading to family disputes, public disorder, and even attacks on law enforcement officers. He noted that local residents protested the incident, asserting that alcohol was the root cause.

Highlighting a series of disturbing cases reported in November last year alone, Ramadoss cited incidents from Ambattur, Panruti, and Virudhachalam, where disputes over money for alcohol resulted in murder, domestic violence, and suicide.

“Every day, countless families are being destroyed by alcohol, yet the government remains indifferent,” he alleged. He also referred to viral videos circulating on social media, including one showing schoolgirls allegedly consuming alcohol and another depicting doctors celebrating New Year’s Day by drinking inside a primary health centre in Sivaganga district, calling them evidence of moral and institutional decay.

The PMK leader warned that alcohol outlets near bus stands, railway stations, schools, and colleges are worsening law and order issues across the State. He cited Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district as an example, where multiple liquor shops operate close to a government higher secondary school, bus stand exits, railway station premises, and within short distances along major roads, causing daily harassment of commuters, especially women.

Though courts have ordered the closure of liquor shops near educational institutions, Ramadoss said these directives have not been fully implemented. Drawing parallels with Kerala, he noted that the Thiruvananthapuram railway administration had sought the relocation of liquor outlets within 500 metres of stations due to safety concerns.

Urging decisive action, Ramadoss appealed to the Chief Minister to stop deflecting responsibility and, as a first step towards phased prohibition, immediately shut down government liquor shops located near public gathering places to restore social harmony and protect women and families.

–IANS

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