Where is ‘Singapenn Padai’, asks Udhayanidhi Stalin after Vandalur schoolgirl assault; claims cover-up

Tamil Nadu's Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin has accused the Tamil Nadu government of attempting to suppress a horrific sexual assault on a government school student near Vandalur, Chennai, and warned that any effort to hush up the crime ahead of the Maduranthagam by-election would backfire politically.

According to local reports, on September 24–25, 2026, a Class 10 student from a government school in the Vandalur area of Chennai was abducted by unidentified persons from within the school campus during daylight hours and subsequently subjected to gang rape. The incident has triggered outrage among opposition parties and local residents, with allegations that police and officials initially tried to downplay the case.

Details such as the exact time, the number of assailants and the current medical condition of the survivor have not been fully disclosed yet.

Stalin slams CM Vijay

In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter), DMK Youth Wing Secretary and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin raised multiple allegations against the ruling TVK government led by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.

Stalin asked, “Where is the ‘Singapenn Padai’ (women’s safety force)?” and mocked the Chief Minister’s campaign promise to be a “fortress” for women’s safety, calling the current dispensation a “Dummy CM’s Circus government.”

He alleged that police and officials are trying to suppress the Vandalur case because the Chief Minister is scheduled to campaign in Maduranthagam for the upcoming by-election, and that they are attempting to “divert” attention from the crime.

The opposition leader further claimed that instead of focusing on catching the accused, police have seized the parents’ mobile phones and threatened them against speaking publicly about the incident. He called for proper medical treatment and justice for the survivor, stringent action against all accused, and a government guarantee of safety for children in all school campuses, including government schools.

Stalin concluded with a political warning: if the ruling combine tries to hide the crime because of the by-poll, “the people will blacken the faces of these rulers.”

Maduranthagam by-election and law-and-order debate

The Maduranthagam assembly constituency in Chengalpattu district is going to polls in a by-election, and Chief Minister Vijay is expected to campaign there on September 25.

Opposition parties have already been using recent crimes against women and children to attack the TVK government’s law-and-order record.

In the past few months, Udhaynidhi and other DMK leaders have repeatedly criticised the Vijay government over the Coimbatore case in May 2026, where a 10-year-old girl was abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered, sparking statewide protests.

They have also highlighted a three-year-old’s rape and death near Gummidipoondi in June 2026, after which Udhayanidhi warned of street protests if such crimes continued.

In addition, there have been ongoing controversies around the granite baron R Veeramani POCSO case, where a special court recently rejected a police closure report and ordered further investigation, prompting the Chief Minister to order action against those who delayed or suppressed the probe.

The Opposition is now citing the Vandalur schoolgirl assault to further endorse the narrative that the state's women and child safety mechanisms have deteriorated under the new government.