On Monday, the fake medicines issue swayed the Assembly with the whole opposition advocating rigorous punishment to the ones who were caught in the illegal activity.

While the main opposition AIADMK commanded a CBI inquiry into the issue and the resignation of Health Minister, M R K Panneerselvam, the Congress proposed that the Government should operate pharmacies to guarantee sale of genuine medicines. Members of different parties, including Chief Minister, M. Karunanidhi, expressed serious distress over the nominal punishment being given to those engaged in the crime.

Replying to a discussion on the issue, the CM said that the State Government should not waver to request for a CBI investigation if the crime had inter-State implications. However, he plead to the members that "we should not become factors for creating a fear psychosis among the public by the way we express our views".

Karunanidhi said that counterfeit medicines were more hazardous than expired drugs.

"While fake drugs turn into a poison for the patient causing death, the expired drugs have no such effect. as such we should treat expired medicines as lesser evil than the fake drugs'', he said.

The CM said that currently, there were 539 drug manufacturing companies and around 42,500 retail and wholesale drug sellers in the State.

Last year, the Centre had launched a modification to ensure availability of quality medicines and to take stern action against the producers of counterfeit medicines.