Chennai, May 12 -- The first major policy move of the newly elected Tamil Nadu government under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay triggered both political debate and public praise on Tuesday after the administration ordered the closure of 717 Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) liquor outlets located near temples, schools, colleges and bus stands across the state.

At the same time, the new government faced its first legal hurdle after the Madras High Court restrained a Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) MLA from participating in the Assembly confidence vote, while the Assembly itself witnessed a show of rare political civility as ruling and opposition leaders exchanged greetings and promises of cooperation.

In one of the biggest ear...