Now Reading: CPI(M) seeks Vijay’s action against chief secretary over protest curb order
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CPI(M) seeks Vijay’s action against chief secretary over protest curb order
CPI(M) seeks Vijay’s action against chief secretary over protest curb order
Tamil Nadu CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam wrote to chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday, alleging that the chief secretary held a meeting with senior officials and instructed several departments to…
Tamil Nadu CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam wrote to chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday, alleging that the chief secretary held a meeting with senior officials and instructed several departments to prevent students from joining Left party protests. The CPI(M) called the directive illegal and unconstitutional.
Shanmugam also demanded the release of the Machendranathan committee report on the proposed Parandur greenfield airport, which Vijay announced on Monday would be abandoned. The party opposed the Parandur site over concerns about losing water bodies and farmland.
The party launched a statewide mass outreach campaign from August 26 to 31, highlighting what it called the adverse impact of the Union government's economic and communal policies. Shanmugam urged the state government to provide relief over rising sugar prices and demanded residential land pattas for families across Tamil Nadu.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The CPI(M) complaint invokes an established pattern of state governments issuing informal directives to keep campuses away from political demonstrations, though such written orders are rare and legally questionable. Under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, peaceful protest and the right to assemble are fundamental rights, but courts have repeatedly upheld reasonable restrictions on student conduct during academic hours. The Machendranathan committee report on the Parandur airport, now shelved after Vijay abandoned the project, was never made public by the previous DMK administration, raising transparency questions that the party now tries to press. The chief minister will have to respond formally to the letter, and how his government handles the chief secretary directive allegation could set a precedent for protest rights in Tamil Nadu.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
