Chennai, Aug 13 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagendran on Wednesday strongly condemned what he described as the DMK government’s “repressive” attempt to prevent senior party leader and former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan from meeting protesting conservancy workers in Chennai.

Nagendran said Tamilisai had planned to visit the sanitation workers, who have been staging a sit-in protest in the city for the past 12 days, to express solidarity and listen to their grievances.

The workers have been demanding the implementation of DMK’s election promise No. 285, which includes job regularisation, salary hikes, and other benefits. According to the BJP leader, the state government attempted to confine Dr. Tamilisai to her residence on Wednesday evening to stop her from interacting with the protestors.

“This act of the DMK-led @arivalayam government is nothing short of an assault on democracy. Trying to suppress political leaders who stand with the people is a murder of democratic principles,” he said.

He criticised the DMK for ignoring the plight of the sanitation workers while taking steps to block those offering them support.

“What right does the DMK government have to stop others from lending a helping hand to these workers? Instead of addressing their genuine demands, the government is choosing to silence their voices and arrest those who support them,” he alleged.

The BJP leader accused the state administration of attempting to crush dissent in Tamil Nadu.

“This is a government that arrests those who fight for their rights and those who speak up for them. It is throttling democratic voices and denying people their constitutional freedoms,” he charged.

Nagendran also warned that the people of Tamil Nadu would soon deliver a verdict against what he termed as an “autocratic” regime.

“The DMK government’s high-handedness will not last forever. The day is not far when this oppressive rule will meet its end,” he declared.

The sanitation workers’ protest, now nearly two weeks old, has drawn support from various political parties, social activists, and members of the public.

Despite repeated appeals, the state government has yet to reach an agreement with the workers on their key demands.

The confrontation between the ruling party and opposition leaders over the handling of the strike has added to the ongoing political tensions in the state.

–IANS

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