Tamil Nadu Congress protests against Amit Shah over student crackdown, parliamentary conduct

The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee staged a demonstration in Egmore on Wednesday, targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his handling of recent student protests in New Delhi and what the party called his undemocratic conduct in Parliament.

TNCC president Manickam Tagore led the protest alongside former state unit chiefs K.S. Alagiri and Su. Thirunavukarasar, former MP Peter Alphonse, Mayiladuthurai MP R. Sudha, and K.V. Thangkabalu. The demonstration coincided with Shah's arrival in Tamil Nadu to chair a Southern Zonal Council meeting.

Police Action on Students Sparks Anger

Tagore held Shah directly accountable for police action against protesting students in the national capital. "The Home Minister shouldn't feel that he had a peaceful visit to Tamil Nadu. We have to show our opposition to him," he told reporters, clarifying that the Congress was targeting Shah and his policies, not the Chief Ministers of other states attending the zonal council.

Delimitation and Paper Leaks Drive Protest

The Congress state unit focused its opposition on two specific grievances: the party's objections to delimitation and the issue of paper leaks. Tagore accused Shah of evading parliamentary scrutiny, saying, "Amit Shah didn't answer questions raised in the parliament. He doesn't act in a democratic manner. He should listen to voices of the people".

The protest underscored mounting tensions between the Congress and the Modi government's second-ranking minister over democratic accountability and governance issues that have stirred youth unrest in the capital.

Source: The Hindu