Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary P. Shanmugam has written to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, demanding action against the Chief Secretary, the Gujiliamparai tahsildar of Dindigul district, and other officials allegedly involved in efforts to restrict Left-affiliated organisations from conducting protests. The letter, dated 27 August, calls the directives in question illegal and unconstitutional.

The Circular at the Centre of the Row

According to Shanmugam, a circular issued following a meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary instructed the School Education and Higher Education departments, police, and district administrations to coordinate measures aimed at preventing students and citizens from participating in demonstrations organised by Left parties and the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP). The matter was allegedly marked 'high priority' and 'urgent', with departments directed to submit action-taken reports.

Shanmugam argued that a decision flowing from a meeting presided over by the state's highest-ranking bureaucrat could not be dismissed as the conduct of a junior official. He demanded both the cancellation of the decision and the withdrawal of the circular.

Accountability, Not an Apology

The CPM leader pointed to what he described as selective action: the government had sought an explanation only from a Joint Director who forwarded the communication to colleges, while no action had reportedly been initiated against those who framed the original directive. He also referenced the Higher Education Minister's apology in the Assembly, saying the party had sought accountability — not a statement of regret.

Shanmugam stressed that the constitutional right to protest is available to all citizens and specifically objected to the proposed involvement of police in educational institutions to discourage students from joining demonstrations, calling it an overreach with chilling implications for civil liberties.

Separate Allegation Against Dindigul Tahsildar

In a separate allegation, Shanmugam accused the Gujiliamparai tahsildar in Dindigul district of instructing village administrative officers to collect personal details of CPM and Communist Party of India (CPI) members in the taluk. He described the move as intimidation and a misuse of official authority.

The district administration had initially indicated the tahsildar would be transferred after completing training, but subsequently sought an explanation under Rule 17A of the Tamil Nadu Government Servants' Conduct Rules. Shanmugam argued this response treated a serious abuse of power as a minor disciplinary lapse.

CPM Rejects Law Minister's Explanation

Responding to Law Minister R. Nirmalkumar's claim that the tahsildar had acted on personal preferences, Shanmugam rejected the characterisation, asserting that misuse of official office to surveil political party members warranted stringent disciplinary action — not a procedural inquiry. He called on the Chief Minister to clarify the government's position on both matters.

The episode marks a sharp escalation in tensions between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK)-led government and Left parties, which are part of the broader INDIA bloc alliance in the state. How the Vijay administration responds is likely to test the durability of that political arrangement.