Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday (June 9, 2026) warned that those who harassed women and threatened their safety, believing that they could escape punishment, would not be spared. The police would take strict action against them, he said.

He was launching the ‘Singappen Special Force’ in the Tamil Nadu Police at the Rajarathinam Stadium at Egmore in Chennai.

The Chief Minister said the root cause of threats to women’s safety was the spread of narcotics and substance abuse, and it must be stamped out.

“The success of a government should not be measured by infrastructure and economic growth alone; it should be measured by dignity and respect with which women and children live,” he said.

The launch of the special force, which Mr. Vijay said was close to his heart, gave him immense happiness. “We [the TVK] had promised to ensure the safety of our grandmothers, mothers, sisters, daughters, and girl children. That promise was not merely for the election. It came emotionally and truthfully from the heart. That is why we implemented this initiative within a short period since coming to power,” Mr. Vijay said.

“While this initiative gives satisfaction, hearing news about crimes against women disturbs me. It is difficult to control those emotions because such atrocities happen to people who belong to our own families,” he said.

The Chief Minister attributed crimes against women and children to the spread of narcotic substances. “This problem did not emerge suddenly in May 2026. It has existed for many years. It has spread because it was ignored for long,” he said, adding that the spread of narcotics, crimes against women, and law and order were interlinked. He added that the safety of women and children was not merely a law and order issue. “It is connected to social discipline, and within social discipline lies individual discipline. If individuals behave responsibly and with self-control, society will change. Women must have dignity and no fear at educational institutions and workplaces, during travel, and in their daily lives,” Mr. Vijay said.

While taking strict action against those involved in crimes against women and children, police officers should ensure that innocent people were not punished, he said. “Only those who commit crimes should receive severe punishment through court. Only then will fear come among those who even think of committing such offences,” he said.

The State government had allocated ₹354 crore for this initiative in the first phase. In the second phase, 2,500 posts would be created in the force, and it would be given vehicles with modern facilities, drones for patrolling, and technological equipment. The force would play an important role in preventing crimes against women and children. Since the force would engage in fieldwork, the all-women police stations would be able to focus more on investigations and ensuring punishment for offenders, Mr. Vijay said.

One of the three orders issued by Mr. Vijay after assuming office on May 10 was the creation of the Singappen Special Force. A Government Order was issued the same day to create a separate force, headed by a police officer of the rank of Inspector-General of Police. Later, the government appointed Inspector-General of Police K. Bhavaneeswari to head the force.

The Chief Minister inspected the parade, headed by parade commander Shahnaz Iliyas, and the guard of honour. He unveiled the monogram of the Singappen Special Force and drove a vehicle dedicated to the force. Ministers, Chief Secretary M. Saikumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Home, Prohibition and Excise, K. Manivasan, Director-General of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, and senior police officers took part in the event. 

The police Drums Bagpiper band played two songs — ‘Singappenney’ from the movie Bigil and ‘Aalaporan Thamizhan’ from the movie Mersal in which Mr. Vijay played the lead role.