Tamil Nadu Government Withdraws Order Barring Students from Left and CJP Protests

The Tamil Nadu government has withdrawn a directive that instructed officials to prevent students and youth from government arts and science colleges from participating in protests organized by Left parties and the Tamil Nadu Cockroach Janata Party (TNCJP). The order, issued by the College Education Department under Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, called for appropriate coordinated action between the School Education, Higher Education, and Police departments, as well as district administrations. The directive was sent to principals of all government arts and science colleges across the state and marked the matter as very urgent.

Joint Director of Collegiate Education Cynthia Selvi P confirmed that the communication had been rolled back. While one report states the order was withdrawn minutes after being issued, another indicates it was issued on Friday and scrapped on Monday following a backlash. Saurav Das, a spokesperson for the Cockroach Janta Party, described the order as unconstitutional and irrational. Conversely, BJP leader Vinoj P Selvam supported the directive, calling the targeted groups agents of chaos who mislead students.

The TNCJP is a group seeking registration as a regional political party led by lawyer C Brahma Balasubramaniam. It focuses on social justice and the rights of workers, students, and farmers, drawing inspiration from a national online movement started by Abhijeet Dipke. The protests occurred amid wider youth demonstrations regarding alleged irregularities in the education system, including the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for medical education.

Framing of the event differed based on political lean. A center-right source characterized the government's reversal as a U-turn. A left-leaning source framed the withdrawal as a response to backlash and highlighted the unconstitutional nature of the order.