Chennai: CPM state secretary P Shanmugam on Saturday alleged a possible Centre-state conspiracy to target Left parties, citing a govt directive against students participating in protests organised by them and the Gujiliamparai tahsildar’s move to collect details of Left functionaries in Dindigul district.Addressing a protest in Chennai, Shanmugam referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent remarks about “dimagi (intellectual) naxals” and questioned whether the state and Union govts were acting in concert against the Left. “This creates suspicion whether the circulars are part of a Centre-state conspiracy,” he said.Shanmugam asked chief minister C Joseph Vijay to decide whether he wanted officials to run the govt or continue in office with the support of the Left parties. He demanded the removal of chief secretary M Sai Kumar and questioned the extension of the officer’s tenure after his appointment by the Election Commission. Terming the tahsildar’s action illegal, Shanmugam said transferring the official to Chennai could not be considered sufficient action.Speaking to reporters at Balan Illam, CPI state secretary M Veerapandian sought an explanation from the chief secretary over his directive to prevent students from joining protests organised by Left parties. “These kinds of outdated colonial practices shouldn’t be allowed. Since taking up arms during the freedom struggle, Left parties have been contributing to strengthening and nurturing the democracy. Our students are present in universities across the country. A year is not enough to complete a headcount,” he said.“Many writers, poets, activists and intellectuals subscribe to an ideology that questions oppression. We suspect that a powerful political force is behind these circulars. The chief minister should intervene instead of remaining silent and clarify his stand,” Veerapandian later told TOI, demanding a probe against the chief secretary.
