The AIADMK’s general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday, October 5, 2023 deplored the arrest of agitating part-time teachers of government schools.
On his social media handle, Mr. Palaniswami pointed out that the agitators had recalled electoral promises given by the ruling DMK at the time of 2021 Assembly polls and had asked for them to be fulfilled. He demanded their immediate release and acceptance of their demands.
Echoing a similar position, the AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran wanted Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to call the agitators for talks and resolve the issues concerning the teachers.
The protest began on September 25, 2023, with over 1,000 part-time teachers taking part in a fast at the DPI campus in Chennai, asking to be absorbed as permanent employees of the government and also for an increase in their remuneration. They were arrested on Thursday, October 5, 2023, and removed from the DPI campus.
In a separate statement, the AIADMK’s former coordinator O. Panneerselvam referred to reports of 425 posts of teachers in Anna University lying vacant. He called for a study of the vacancies in the positions of teachers in universities and government colleges, and urged the Chief Minister to have the posts filled on a war-footing.