The Joseph Vijay TVK government’s attempt to stop students and youth from participating in protests organised by Left parties and the Tamil Nadu Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) lasted just two days. Yet the episode exposes the glaring double standards of the Congress-aligned government, which sought coordinated action to keep students away from political protests while the usual champions of “democracy” remained conspicuously silent.
On 17 August 2026, the Directorate of Collegiate Education directed principals of government arts and science colleges to coordinate with the School Education Department, Higher Education Department, police and district administration to prevent students and youth from participating in protests organised by Left parties and the CJP.
The directive, issued as an “urgent” communication, referred to a government letter dated August 14 and specifically called for “inter-departmental and coordinated joint action.” Colleges were also asked to submit details of the action taken to the Directorate.
The move triggered criticism from the CJP, which called the order unconstitutional, illogical and irrational. The BJP, meanwhile, backed the directive, arguing that students should stay away from political agitations and focus on their education and careers.
Two days later, on 19 August 2026, the Directorate withdrew the order in its entirety.
Tamil Nadu: The Directorate of Collegiate Education has withdrawn its August 17 order that sought coordinated action to prevent students from participating in protests organised by Left parties and the Tamil Nadu Cockroach Janata Party pic.twitter.com/HiwQ9SMzQO
— IANS (@ians_india) August 19, 2026
The withdrawal came amid continuing student protests in Tamil Nadu over the death of Ansiji, a 21-year-old nursing student from Kerala, who allegedly died by suicide after jumping from the third floor of Bethlahem Nursing College in Karungal, Kanyakumari district, on August 14. Her family and friends have alleged harassment by the college administration over her use of a smartphone and raised questions over the handling of the case, as reported in Deccan Chronicle.
The August 17 directive also came against the backdrop of student and youth mobilisation over examination-related issues, including protests organised by the CJP in Delhi.
The episode is particularly striking given that the TVK is aligned with the Congress-led political camp, whose leaders and allies routinely accuse political opponents of undermining democracy and curbing dissent. Yet when the Congress-aligned TVK government itself moved to prevent students from participating in political protests, there was no comparable chorus declaring that democracy was under threat.
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