Chennai, Jan 6 (NationPress) PMK founder S. Ramadoss has urged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to promptly intervene and initiate the closure of state-operated liquor shops situated near public areas, citing a significant increase in alcohol-induced violence, social disorder, and threats to women’s security.

In a forceful statement, Ramadoss asserted that the state government could no longer dodge accountability by claiming impotence. He referenced a recent event on January 2 near Senji in Villupuram district, where a 22-year-old man, allegedly under the influence of alcohol from a nearby TASMAC shop, intruded into a woman's residence and caused a disturbance.

When law enforcement from the Senji police station arrived to intervene, one constable was reportedly attacked by the youth.

Ramadoss expressed that such occurrences illustrate how alcohol consumption is turning average individuals into violent offenders, resulting in family conflicts, public disorder, and even assaults on police. He remarked that local citizens protested the incident, claiming that alcohol was the underlying cause.

Pointing to a series of alarming cases reported in November of last year, Ramadoss highlighted incidents from Ambattur, Panruti, and Virudhachalam, where disputes over alcohol funds led to murder, domestic violence, and suicide.

“Each day, numerous families are being shattered by alcohol, yet the government remains apathetic,” he claimed. He also referenced viral footage circulating on social media, including one showing schoolgirls allegedly consuming alcohol and another of doctors celebrating New Year’s Day by drinking within a primary health center in Sivaganga district, labeling them as signs of moral and institutional decline.

The PMK leader cautioned that the presence of alcohol shops near bus stations, railway stations, schools, and colleges is exacerbating law and order challenges throughout the state. He cited Virudhachalam in Cuddalore district as an example, where multiple liquor outlets operate in close proximity to a government higher secondary school, bus station exits, railway station premises, and along major roads, leading to daily harassment of commuters, particularly women.

Despite court orders for the closure of liquor shops near educational institutions, Ramadoss indicated these rulings have not been fully enacted. Drawing comparisons with Kerala, he mentioned that the Thiruvananthapuram railway administration had requested the relocation of liquor outlets within 500 meters of stations due to safety concerns.

Calling for decisive measures, Ramadoss appealed to the Chief Minister to cease deflecting accountability and, as an initial step toward gradual prohibition, immediately close government liquor shops located near public gathering spots to restore social order and protect women and families.