Erode, June 6 (AHN) Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) President G.K. Vasan on Saturday congratulated former Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K. Annamalai for launching a new political movement and called for stronger measures to tackle the growing law and order challenges in the state.

Speaking to reporters in Erode, Vasan also congratulated Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa for his historic triumph at the Norway Chess Tournament, describing it as a proud achievement for the country.

Turning to state politics, the TMC Chief said Tamil Nadu continued to face serious law and order concerns despite a change in government.

He alleged that incidents of murder, robbery, theft and crimes against women were being reported from various parts of the state and urged the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led state government to act firmly against offenders.

"Criminals must be dealt with strictly and punishments should act as a deterrent," he said, adding that the TMC has consistently supported the death penalty for those convicted of heinous sexual crimes.

He also claimed that the ruling TVK-led state government had failed to retain the confidence of farmers, who were protesting because agricultural loans had not been completely waived.

According to Vasan, Tamil Nadu needs a government that places greater emphasis on agriculture and the welfare of farmers.

Commenting on the long-standing Mekedatu dam dispute, the TMC Chief said Karnataka remained firm in its efforts to build the project and criticised what he described as contradictory positions taken by political parties on the issue.

He urged the Tamil Nadu government to take up the matter more aggressively and press for discussions with national leaders to safeguard the state's interests.

G.K. Vasan also demanded clarity from the state government regarding the reported disappearance of a hard disk from a Tamil Nadu Electricity Board office, saying the incident had raised several questions and suspicions.

Responding to a query on the registration of an FIR against Minister K.N. Nehru, the TMC Chief said the law must be allowed to take its course without interference.

The TMC leader also said that voters should never be taken for granted and noted that people were closely monitoring the performance of the new state government.

He stressed that the administration must work to earn and retain public trust.

Vasan also announced that a meeting aimed at strengthening the TMC organisation would be held in Chennai on June 14, where party leaders would discuss strategies to expand and consolidate the party's presence across Tamil Nadu.

Several party functionaries, including State General Secretary Yuvaraj, State Vice-President Vidyal Sekhar, State Executive Committee member S.T. Chandrasekhar and District President Vijayakumar, were present during the interaction.