Congress MP Sasikanth carries on indefinite fast from hospital, pressing Centre for SSA funds to TN
Senthil, a former IAS officer, began his fast-unto-death on Friday at the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) office on the Tiruvallur Collectorate premises
Minorities Welfare Minister SM Nasar visited the Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil at Tiruvallur GH enquiring about his health on Sunday
CHENNAI: Congress MP Sasikanth Senthil, who launched an indefinite fast demanding the release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to Tamil Nadu, was admitted to the Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital on Sunday, on the second day of his fast and vowed to continue his protest from the confines of the hospital.
Senthil, a former IAS officer, began his fast-unto-death on Friday at the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) office on the Tiruvallur Collectorate premises. He was admitted to the hospital on Saturday after his blood pressure spiked on the second day of the protest.
In a social media post on Sunday, the MP said, “Yesterday, I was admitted to the hospital due to high blood pressure. While doctors are concerned about my health, I continue my hunger strike against the BJP-led Union government until the SSA funds are released to Tamil Nadu. I urge the people of Tamil Nadu to raise their voice democratically and demand that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan release our State’s rightful funds without playing politics over ideological differences.”
He reiterated that the non-release of Rs 2,152 crore under SSA had put the future of 43 lakh students and 2.2 lakh teachers in grave uncertainty. Calling the Centre’s action a “violation of the Constitution,” he said his protest was not personal but a fight to secure every child’s right to quality education without political pressure or language imposition.
Meanwhile, State Minorities Welfare Minister SM Nasar visited the Congress MP at the hospital to enquire about his health.
On the third day of the fast, members of the Federation of Secondary Grade Teachers, who had cleared the recruitment examination, visited Senthil in the hospital to ask about his health and express their support.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi had spoken to Senthil over the phone on Saturday, extending solidarity with the protest.
Congress Lok Sabha whip B Manickam Tagore also urged Speaker Om Birla to intervene. “Denying states their rightful funds is not just financial injustice; it is an attack on federalism and democracy. We demand Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stop punishing Tamil Nadu for political reasons and release the SSA funds without delay,” he wrote.