CM Vijay Withdraws Cases Against Farmers and Teachers Who Held Peaceful Protests

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced that the state government would withdraw pending police cases registered against farmers and teachers who had taken part in peaceful protests to press for their rights and demands.

Making a statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, Vijay said cases filed against farmers protesting the Parandur airport project and the expansion of the SIPCOT industrial park project in Tiruvannamalai district would be withdrawn. Similar relief would be extended to teachers who had staged democratic and peaceful protests over their demands.

The Chief Minister said the decision had been taken on humanitarian grounds and in keeping with democratic principles, adding that withdrawing such cases would strengthen democratic rights and deepen public trust in the government.

According to Vijay, several cases were registered between May 2021 and April 2026 against farmers and teachers who had protested for their livelihoods, rights and demands during the previous regime.

He said farmers in Tiruvannamalai were booked for opposing the SIPCOT project, with some even facing action under the Goondas Act. Farmers also participated in sustained protests against the proposed Parandur airport, expressing concerns over the possible impact on agricultural land, water bodies and their livelihoods.

The Vijay-led TVK government has recently dropped the Parandur airport project.

“Peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right, particularly when people are fighting to protect their basic livelihoods,” the Chief Minister said.

Describing farmers as the backbone of the country’s food security and teachers as the foundation of social progress, Vijay said it was unfair for them to face prolonged legal proceedings merely for raising what he described as reasonable demands.

The pending cases had caused considerable mental distress to the affected farmers and teachers, he said, adding that the government’s decision to withdraw them was aimed at ensuring justice and reinforcing the democratic rights of citizens.