Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay on Wednesday announced in the Assembly, under Rule 110, that the state will withdraw cases registered against farmers and teachers during the previous regime.
In his statement, the Chief Minister said the government is committed to ensuring that people can place their demands within the framework of law. He noted that numerous cases were filed between 2021 and April 2026 against farmers and teachers who protested over livelihood, rights and social welfare-related demands, causing hardship and mental stress.
He cited instances including the protest against the SIPCOT industrial estate in Tiruvannamalai, where farmers faced action under the Goondas Act, and cases linked to protests seeking the scrapping of the proposed Parandur greenfield airport project. He also referred to pending cases against teachers who staged democratic protests for what he described as legitimate demands.
Following the announcement, members debated the move in the House. DMK MLA Velu said he had no objection to withdrawing cases but questioned how law and order would be maintained during protests linked to land acquisition for projects. Ministers Aadhav Arjuna and Nirmalkumar said steps would be taken to withdraw protest-related cases through the government’s legal process, while Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi recalled that earlier DMK governments had withdrawn over 5,000 cases linked to various protests; DMK MLA M.R.K. Panneerselvam asked whether cases filed in the current government’s first 100 days against farmers demanding full loan waiver would also be withdrawn.
