Wayanad: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday defended the constitutional right of people to hold peaceful protests against government policies, including those of administrations led by her own party. Her remarks came after police removed a hunger strike tent set up by Lower Primary School Teacher rank-holders outside the Keralam Secretariat and arrested their protest leader.
The protesters have been demonstrating for more than four months, demanding appointments to government schools from the Lower Primary School Teacher rank list before it expires.
Police removed the protest tent on Wednesday night and took leader Valarmathi into custody. She was subsequently taken to hospital after her health deteriorated.
The police action triggered questions about the government’s handling of the prolonged agitation. Responding to reporters in Wayanad, Priyanka said the right to peaceful protest was a fundamental feature of democracy and should be respected regardless of which political party was in power.
Priyanka says peaceful protests must be allowed
Priyanka said people across India and the world had the right to express their opposition to government policies. She emphasised that democratic systems provided citizens with constitutional protection to raise their concerns through peaceful demonstrations.
“My take across India and the world is that people have the right to protest. In democracies, especially, they are given this right by the Constitution. I think people should be allowed to exercise their constitutional right,” she told reporters.
Her statement was significant because the protest was directed against a government led by the Congress party’s ally in Keralam. Priyanka made it clear that her position did not change depending on the political party governing a state.
She said peaceful demonstrations should be permitted even when protesters were criticising a Congress-led government or opposing its policies.
“But as long as the protest, even if it is against our government in the state or our policies, is peaceful, it should be allowed to continue,” she said.
The Congress MP’s remarks underlined the distinction between the right to peaceful dissent and actions that violate the law.
Priyanka draws a distinction between peaceful and violent protests
While defending the protesters’ right to continue their agitation, Priyanka also acknowledged that the authorities had a responsibility to maintain public order.
She said police intervention could be justified if a demonstration became violent or extremely aggressive, or if people were being hurt.
According to her, protesters must also respect the rule of law while exercising their democratic freedoms.
Her position was that peaceful demonstrations should not be stopped merely because they create political pressure or challenge the policies of the government.
Priyanka reiterated that the same principle applied to administrations run by different political parties, including Congress governments.
The comments came amid questions over the removal of the hunger strike tent and the arrest of Valarmathi, who was leading the prolonged agitation outside the Secretariat.
Why are the teacher rank-holders protesting?
The Lower Primary School Teacher rank-holders have been demanding appointments to government schools from the rank list prepared by the Keralam Public Service Commission (PSC).
Their concern is that the list could expire before the pending appointments are completed. They want the authorities to make appointments from the existing list while it remains valid.
The protesters have continued their agitation outside the Secretariat for more than four months, seeking government intervention and a resolution to their demands.
The issue is particularly important for candidates waiting for appointments after clearing the recruitment process. The rank list represents an opportunity to secure government teaching positions, but candidates fear that delays could leave them without appointments before its validity ends.
Their demand is for the PSC and the government to take steps to ensure that eligible candidates are considered for available vacancies within the prescribed period.
Police remove hunger strike tent, arrest protest leader
The agitation took a turn on Wednesday night when police removed the hunger strike tent outside the Secretariat.
Valarmathi, the leader of the protest, was also arrested during the operation. She was later shifted to hospital after her health deteriorated.
The removal of the tent came after the protesters had maintained their presence at the location for several months.
The incident brought renewed attention to the demands of the rank-holders and the manner in which the authorities were handling their demonstration.
Priyanka’s remarks on Thursday placed the focus on the constitutional dimension of the dispute, arguing that peaceful protesters should be allowed to continue their agitation even when their demands are directed against the government.
Constitutional right to dissent remains central
Priyanka’s intervention highlighted a broader democratic principle: the right to peacefully question government decisions should not depend on whether the ruling party agrees with the protesters.
By explicitly including Congress-led governments in her statement, she sought to make clear that the right to dissent must apply consistently across political administrations.
At the same time, her comments recognised that peaceful protest does not exempt participants from following the law or respecting public safety.
The immediate issue remains the demand of the Lower Primary School Teacher rank-holders for appointments before their PSC list expires. With the protest tent removed and its leader hospitalised, the agitation has drawn fresh political attention.
Whether the government and the concerned authorities will address the recruitment demands remains to be seen. Priyanka’s statement has, meanwhile, renewed the debate over the balance between maintaining public order and protecting the constitutional right to peaceful protest.