Amaravati, Aug 17 (IANS) Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party President, Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, on Monday slammed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu over suspension of five teachers for meeting Union government representatives to seek exemption from the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers.
Y.S. Jagan took to social media to question the Chief Minister over vindictiveness against government employees, particularly teachers.
“On the first day, teachers belonging to teachers’ associations in YSR Kadapa district were suspended, and on the second day, teachers from Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts were suspended. Why were these five teachers suspended? What crime did they commit?,” asked the YSRCP chief.
Y.S. Jagan mentioned that more than one lakh senior teachers are facing difficulties because they are now being asked to write the TET examination after so many years of service, even though no such TET requirement existed when they joined service.
“Is it a crime for them to seek exemption from this rule and submit a representation to the Union Government with the support of MPs standing by them,” Y.S. Jagan asked.
Demanding immediate revocation of the suspensions, the YSRCP chief urged CM Naidu to apologise to the suspended teachers and rectify the mistake. He warned that YSRCP will take this issue seriously and extend complete legal support to the teachers in challenging these unjust suspensions.
Y.S. Jagan said, “Your Red Book-driven jungle raj is now not even sparing government teachers. Chandrababu garu, should you not have been the one to urge the Union Government to remove this TET requirement? As a partner in the NDA, why did you not pass a resolution in the Assembly and exert pressure on the Centre?”
“You failed to do what you were supposed to do. You abandoned the problems of senior teachers. But when they themselves tried to bring their problems to the notice of the Union Government with the support of our party MPs, you branded them politically motivated and suspended them,” he said.
“Is their only fault that they tried to do what you could not? Is submitting a representation a crime? Does it warrant suspension? Instead of resolving an issue, it is deplorable that the government is viewing the very same issue through a political lens and attributing political motives to teachers. How can you stoop to such a level?,” asked former CM Jagan.
Jagan accused CM Naidu of abandoning all the promises made to employees in his party’s manifesto. He said though the government is now in its third year, the promises of interim relief and Pay Revision Commission have not been fulfilled while five DAs remained pending.
“Chandrababu garu, people are watching the manner in which you are acting with the arrogance of power and pursuing dictatorial policies. You have reached a stage where you cannot even tolerate your own shadow,” added YS Jagan.
–IANS
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