Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 17 : Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nainar Nagendran was on Thursday prevented by the police from meeting detained part-time teachers who have been staging protests in Chennai, demanding the regularisation of their jobs.
The teachers, detained earlier in the day, were being held at the government marriage hall in Triplicane.
Speaking to reporters outside the venue, Nagendran criticised the police for arresting peaceful protestors while allegedly failing to find the accused who had raped a 10-year-old girl in Gumidipoondi in Thiruvallore district.
Part-time teachers from schools across Tamil Nadu have been protesting for more than a week, demanding the regularisation of their jobs in Chennai. Today, they were detained by the Chennai police and taken to the Triplicane government marriage hall.
When TN BJP President Nainar Nagendran came to meet the protesters and offer them solidarity support, he was denied permission to meet the protesters.
"A fourth standard girl was raped in Gummidipoondi, and the accused is still roaming free. But here, teachers asking for their rightful jobs are being arrested by police. This is shameful and condemnable," he said.
Nagendran warned that the public is watching the state government's actions closely and would respond in the 2026 elections.
He also took a swipe at Chief Minister MK Stalin, saying the DMK leader was afraid after the AIADMK-BJP alliance had taken shape. "MK Stalin claims he will win over 200 seats, but we will win all 234," he declared confidently.
He further slammed the DMK for not honouring promises made to part-time teachers and accused the ruling party of betraying the community. "This government has failed to deliver on its job assurance. It's a betrayal of the teachers," he said.
Reacting to the controversy over DMK MP Trichy Siva's remarks on former CM K. Kamaraj, Nagendran called it deeply disrespectful. "Kamarajar was a freedom fighter and a true visionary. It is disgraceful that Trichy Siva has insulted him, and even more unfortunate that Congress has not condemned it in strong terms. We don't even know if Congress exists in Tamil Nadu anymore."
On the alleged raising concerns about law and order in the state, he said, "This is the third rape case involving a minor, yet the government is not taking strict action. Even a DSP's vehicle was seized when he shut down an illegal bar. How can there be law and order in such a scenario?"