Left Parties Demand Action from CM Vijay Over Surveillance Circulars

The Left parties have challenged Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over controversial government circulars instructing officials to monitor students linked to Left organisations, demanding the immediate removal of Chief Secretary C Sai Kumar, a formal inquiry, and a personal explanation from the Chief Minister.

Addressing a protest demonstration in Chennai on Saturday, CPI(M) state secretary P Shanmugam called on the Chief Minister to choose between governing with the support of Left parties or letting officials dictate the administration's direction.

Shanmugam alleged that a possible conspiracy between the state and the Union government may be behind the move, citing two specific actions by authorities. The first involved a state government directive aimed at preventing students from participating in protests organised by Left outfits. The second involved an effort by the Gujiliamparai tahsildar in Dindigul district to collect personal details of CPI and CPM functionaries.

Connecting these actions to recent remarks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the gathering of information on "urban naxals," Shanmugam questioned whether state and central administrations were acting in coordination against the Left.

Shanmugam stated that the directives created strong suspicion of a coordinated effort targeting Left organisations and urged the administration to address the issue directly.

Pointing out that both the CPI and CPM currently provide outside support to the TVK government, Shanmugam insisted that the Chief Minister must decide whether to retain the backing of the Left parties or allow bureaucratic overreach to continue unchecked.