Opposition parties, some DMK allies condemn overnight arrest of conservancy workers
In a post on X, AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami, addressing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, said: 'At the entrance of Ripon Building, in the dead of night, your administration unleashed oppression, attacking and crushing the sanitation workers who, even during COVID-19, tirelessly cleaned our garbage and kept the city spotless. They were forcibly removed and imprisoned in various places by your enforcement machinery.'
'Who are they? Anti-social elements? Thugs? Naxalites? Not at all. They are poor, simple people! Those who worked daily to keep Chennai city clean. Is it a crime that these sanitation workers protested peacefully, condemning your failure to fulfil the promises you made and acting contrary to them,' he asked.
'The sanitation workers have been imprisoned in more than eight locations. I urge that they be released immediately and that those injured due to these reckless actions be provided proper medical treatment,' Mr. Palaniswami said.
In a post on X, Mr. Selvaperunthagai, president of Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC), said even though there is a Madras High Court direction that the conservancy workers can protest only at authorised places, the police should have handled the situation with compassion. He also sought Mr. Stalin's direct intervention in resolving the issue and ensuring the release of the detained workers and those who supported them.
Condemning the arrest, BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin did not have the heart to meet the protesting workers, but had time to extend wishes to a film crew, and it is shameful. 'Is oppressing the poor people and taking away their democratic rights the social justice preached by DMK?' he asked.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State secretary P. Shanmugam condemned the arrest, urged for their release and called for action against the police.
PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss also took a jibe at Mr. Stalin for watching a movie. 'Unleashing force on poor people is not courage, it is cowardice. Fulfilling their demands is courage. It is certain that the day people remove the DMK from power is not far away,' Dr. Anbumani said.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay also condemned the arrest. 'The sanitation workers have been protesting only to demand the fulfilment of the promises you made when you were in the Opposition. Why have you still not fulfilled those promises? If you cannot keep such promises, why do you make them in the first place,' he said.
He also sought the immediate release of the detained sanitation workers and said they must be given an alternative space to continue their protest and present their demands.
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) leader G.K. Vasan, AMMK founder T.T.V. Dhinakaran, DMDK general secretary Premallatha Vijayakanth, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader S. Seeman, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) deputy general secretary Vanni Arasu, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) president Prof. M.H. Jawahirullah also condemned the arrest.
MDMK chief Vaiko urged the state government to quickly implement the welfare schemes announced for the workers, requesting the workers to accept them and return to work. Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi (KMDK) general secretary and Tiruchengode MLA E.R. Eswaran also requested workers to return to work.
Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan expressed concern over the arrest of protesting conservancy workers. He welcomed the announcements by the Chief Minister, but said the party does not support privatisation.
Chief Minister should reconsider the privatisation decision and called for release of those arrested and should regularise their jobs, Mr. Thirumavalavan said.
Meanwhile, the Chennai Press Club condemned the police action, seizing a drone and other equipment from newspersons from Theekkathir newspaper's digital division when they were reporting the news of the protest and detention. In a post on X, the Club urged the police to immediately return the seized equipment and the video files.
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