Tamil Nadu chief minister orders dismissal of protest cases against farmers and teachers
Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced that the state will drop all pending cases against farmers and teachers who staged peaceful protests between May 2021 and April 2026, sparking a heated debate in the assembly.
In a Chennai assembly sitting, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay used Rule 110 to proclaim that all cases lodged from May 2021 to April 2026 against farmers and teachers involved in non-violent protests would be withdrawn. The decision covers individuals arrested over the SIPCOT industrial estate dispute in Tiruvannamalai, the Parandur airport opposition, and teachers demanding better rights. While some coalition members praised the step as a democratic gesture, DMK whip E V Velu accused the government of ulterior motives, and opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin contested the claim that this was unprecedented, citing earlier withdrawals by a former DMK administration.
Former minister M R K Panneerselvam asked if recent cases related to crop-loan protests would also be cleared. Speaker J C D Prabhakar ruled the announcement valid under assembly rules, and Vijay framed the action as a means to strengthen freedom of expression and rebuild public trust.
Why it matters
The case dismissals affect thousands of protestors and signal the government's stance on civil dissent in Tamil Nadu.
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