TVK chief Vijay and AIADMK leader Palaniswami condemned the DMK government for the late-night arrest of protesting sanitation workers in Chennai. Court questioned police action, calling it “illegal detention.”
Chennai: Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay, on Thursday, August 14, strongly criticised what he called “the fascist DMK government” for the late-night arrest of sanitation workers protesting against the decision to outsource sanitary work to a private company.
According to reports, more than 400 police personnel arrived near the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), at around 11:30 pm on Wednesday, August 13.
They began detaining nearly 600 sanitation workers who had been protesting continuously for the past 13 days.
Vijay wrote on social media platform X,
“Condemnation to the fascist DMK government for arresting sanitation workers, who have been peacefully fighting for their rights, in an inhumane and anarchic manner in the dead of night!”
Earlier that day, GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran informed the Madras High Court that temporary conservancy workers would receive higher earnings if the work was privatised and they were employed through private agencies.
The state government is considering outsourcing sanitary work in two zones — Zone V (Royapuram) and Zone VI (Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar).
Vijay also raised concerns that several women participating in the protest were detained in different locations across Chennai and were unable to contact their families for assistance.
Reports indicated that the detained women were held in eight different event halls in the city during the night of August 13 and 14.
“Reports have emerged that not only did women sanitation workers faint during the arrests, where they were dragged away in a brutal manner, but they have also sustained severe injuries. Witnessing this midnight arrest operation, it is evident that violence has been unleashed on women to an extent that no one with a conscience can bear,”
Vijay wrote, demanding that the workers
“must be given immediate medical assistance and treatment.”
Edappadi Palaniswami, the Leader of the Opposition and AIADMK general secretary, also condemned the action, stating that the workers should be released immediately.
He accused the ruling government of mistreating those who have served the city selflessly, saying the government was
“attacking and crushing the sanitation workers who, even during COVID-19, tirelessly cleaned our garbage and kept the city spotless.”
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu police defended the midnight arrests of six lawyers and law students linked to the sanitation workers’ protest, claiming that the action was necessary due to incidents of vandalism and defiance of court orders.
However, the court expressed serious doubts over the urgency of the arrests, with the bench calling the incident “illegal detention” rather than a lawful arrest. An order regarding the release of those detained is expected within an hour, while the state has requested that strict conditions be imposed if they are released.
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