Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay faced a fresh political challenge on Tuesday after 17 inmates escaped from Thekkampatti sub-jail in Theni district, prompting sharp criticism from the DMK, AIADMK and BJP over prison security and law and order. The inmates allegedly staged a medical emergency, attacked jail staff and fled, triggering a search operation. Opposition leaders accused the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government of administrative failures and questioned its ability to maintain law and order.
Stalin Mocks Vijay Govt With ‘Prison Break’ Jibe
DMK chief and former Chief Minister MK Stalin took a swipe at the government, drawing a comparison with the television series Breaking Bad and the crime drama Prison Break.
Stalin said: “Following Breaking Bad, prison break has also begun in Tamil Nadu! I thought criminals released on bail weren’t being monitored. It turns out this administration is in such a pathetic state that it lets prisoners inside jail escape as well.”
“Before we could recover from the shock of two inmates escaping from Puzhal Prison, 17 prisoners have escaped from the Theni District Jail. People say this is the first time so many prisoners have escaped all at once since 1995. Such an incident happening in 2026—when security arrangements and surveillance facilities are supposed to have advanced—is unacceptable,” he added, as per reports.
Stalin also questioned the state’s law-and-order situation, arguing that the government had failed to prevent offences outside prisons while allowing inmates to escape from within jail premises.
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Kanimozhi Questions Jail Security
DMK MP Kanimozhi also targeted the government, questioning the reported escape and the security arrangements at the facility.
“There are reports that 17 inmates escaped after attacking the guards in Thekambatti Jail in Theni district. This government has not been able to arrest the criminals and has not been able to protect the criminals in jail! What will TVK’s police IT wing say?” she said.
DMK MP P Wilson also criticised the government, describing the incident as shameful.
AIADMK, BJP Allege Administrative Failure
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami expressed concern over the incident and accused the government of failing to respond adequately after the earlier escape from Puzhal Prison.
“If prisoners can attack police personnel and escape from a prison, what security can ordinary people expect on the streets?” he asked, urging the government to strengthen law and order and ensure that the escapees were brought back into custody.
BJP Tamil Nadu chief media coordinator Narayanan Thirupathi also criticised the government, calling the incident a major failure of prison security.
Thirupathi alleged that the escape exposed basic security lapses rather than an elaborate plan. He questioned why several remand prisoners were housed in the same room and why jail staff opened the cell without adequately verifying the reported medical emergency.
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