Chennai, Jan 12 AIADMK General Secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, on Monday, condemned the alleged house arrest of leaders of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers Association (SSTA), accusing the DMK government of adopting "repressive tactics" to suppress a democratic protest.
In a statement and a post on social media platform X, Palaniswami said that at least eight office-bearers of the SSTA, including state-level executives, were placed under house arrest from 8 a.m. on Sunday as teachers continued their agitation demanding the implementation of the "equal pay for equal work" principle.
The protest by secondary grade teachers has entered its 17th consecutive day.
Palaniswami alleged that the detained leaders were denied access to their mobile phones, which were reportedly confiscated and switched off.
He described the action as a blatant violation of basic rights and accused the state government of mishandling a legitimate protest.
"The puppet Chief Minister's government does not know how to handle a peaceful agitation. Resorting to such tactics and denying even the basic right to communicate is highly condemnable," he said.
The AIADMK leader also warned that the state government would be held fully accountable if even "minor harm" befell any of the teachers or union leaders who had been detained.
"I urge the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government to immediately release the arrested teachers and engage in meaningful dialogue," he added.
Secondary grade teachers across the state have been protesting since December 26, 2025, seeking the correction of long-standing pay anomalies.
The dispute centres on the disparity in basic pay between teachers appointed before June 1, 2009, and those recruited after that date.
According to the association, the initial difference of Rs 3,170 in basic pay has widened over the years to nearly Rs 9,000 due to successive revisions.
The SSTA has said that the demand for equal pay was a key assurance made by the DMK during its election campaign and accused the state government of reneging on its promise.
While the state government has not officially responded to the allegations of house arrest and denial of phone access, the issue has triggered sharp political reactions, with the AIADMK intensifying pressure on the ruling DMK government to resolve the teachers' grievance without coercive measures.
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