CHENNAI: The Left parties have put Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay in a political bind over controversial govt circulars directing officials to monitor students linked to Left organisations, demanding the removal of chief secretary C Sai Kumar, a probe into the orders and a personal explanation from the CM. They also asked Vijay to make a choice between running the government with the support of the Left parties and allowing officials to dictate its course.CPI state secretary P Shanmugam, addressing a protest in Chennai on Saturday, alleged a possible Centre-state “conspiracy” to target the Left, citing two developments – a govt directive to prevent students from participating in Left-led protests and the Gujiliamparai tahsildar’s move to collect details of CPI and CPM functionaries in Dindigul district.Shanmugam linked the developments to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks on collecting details of “urban naxals” and questioned whether the state and Centre were acting in concert to target the Left. “This creates a strong suspicion whether the circulars are part of the state-centre conspiracy,” Shanmugam said during the protest.“The chief minister should decide whether he wants these officials to run the government or continue this government with the support of the Left parties,” Shanmugam said, pointing out that the CPI and CPM were extending support to the TVK government from outside.CPI state secretary M Veerapandian told TOI that the “British colonial era-style circulars” appeared to echo statements by the PM and Union home minister against those subscribing to Left ideology. “Many writers, poets, activists and intellectuals subscribe to an ideology that questions oppression. We strongly suspect that a powerful political force is behind these circulars. The CM should intervene instead of remaining silent and clarify his stand,” he said.Shanmugam held Sai Kumar responsible for the two developments and demanded his removal. Questioning the extension of Sai Kumar’s tenure after his appointment as chief secretary by the Election Commission of India, he said, “We want him replaced. The government can appoint anyone of its choice, but the present chief secretary should go.”The CPI leader rejected the government’s reported steps of withdrawing the circulars, issuing a show-cause notice to officials concerned and transferring an official as inadequate.“Our simple question is whether the officials are under the control of the government or the government is under their control. We want a personal explanation from the CM, assuring us that the officials and the government are under his control and expressing regret over what happened. The CPI will not accept anything less,” Shanmugam said. He insisted on a proper probe against the CS and appropriate action based on the outcome of the probe.
