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The ruling DMK though has aggressively pushed back, immediately turning the tables on the opposition AIADMK
Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian has stated that the period of inspection shortfall cited in the CAG’s damning findings—specifically 2016 to 2021—occurred during the tenure of the AIADMK. Representational image/X
A CAG report on drug safety released last year, linked to a pharma firm that produced a “killer cough syrup” responsible for multiple deaths, has ignited a furious political firestorm in Tamil Nadu. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Report No. 5 (2024) exposed systemic regulatory collapse, specifically documenting a staggering 364 violations at the implicated Tamil Nadu-based pharmaceutical company, a finding that opponents claim demonstrates the complete breakdown of oversight under the MK Stalin-led DMK government.
The report’s most damaging detail reveals a massive shortfall in mandatory inspections, confirming that nearly four out of ten drug shops and factories went uninspected. Critics argue this lax enforcement of safety checks allowed pharma units to operate with impunity, creating a dangerous “breeding ground for fake, unsafe, and deadly medicines”, and establishing an undeniable link between governmental negligence and the loss of lives in the cough syrup tragedy.
CAG EXPOSES DRUG SAFETY COLLAPSE UNDER STALIN GOVT —364 VIOLATIONS FOUND AT TN PHARMA FIRM BEHIND KILLER COUGH SYRUP
• 364 violations found at a Tamil Nadu-based pharma company linked to killer cough syrup deaths.
• Exposes the complete breakdown of Tamil Nadu’s drug… pic.twitter.com/QNgAb5q4qN
— Pradeep Bhandari(प्रदीप भंडारी)🇮🇳 (@pradip103) October 10, 2025
The scandal erupted when 22 children died this month after consuming the contaminated cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district.
However, the ruling DMK has aggressively pushed back, immediately turning the tables on the opposition AIADMK. Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian publicly rejected the notion of current negligence, stating that the period of inspection shortfall cited in the CAG’s damning findings—specifically 2016 to 2021—occurred during the tenure of the AIADMK. Subramanian demanded that former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) must take responsibility for the regulatory failure, adding that since the DMK took office in 2021, drug inspections are now “on track”.
The escalating row has effectively transformed a severe public health crisis into a high-stakes political weapon. While the opposition is using the CAG report to brand the Stalin government as “dangerously negligent”, the DMK has countered by pinning the blame for decades of laxity squarely on the AIADMK, ensuring that the issue of pharmaceutical safety is now deeply entrenched in a fierce political battle for accountability.
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d…Read More
The News Desk is a team of passionate editors and writers who break and analyse the most important events unfolding in India and abroad. From live updates to exclusive reports to in-depth explainers, the Desk d… Read More
October 10, 2025, 18:33 IST
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