Chennai, Aug 31 (IANS) Sasikanth Senthil, Congress MP from Tiruvallur Lok Sabha constituency, who began an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to Tamil Nadu, continued to remain under medical observation in Tiruvallur Government Medical College Hospital on Sunday, even as he vowed to press on with his protest.
Senthil, a former IAS officer, launched the fast-unto-death on Friday at the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) office on the Tiruvallur Collectorate premises. However, his health deteriorated by the second day, with doctors recording a spike in his blood pressure, following which he was admitted to hospital on Saturday.
Despite medical concerns, Senthil declared through social media that he would not end his strike until the Union government released the pending funds. He accused the BJP-led Centre of denying Tamil Nadu its rightful share of Rs 2,152 crore under SSA, which, he said, directly impacts the future of 43 lakh students and 2.2 lakh teachers across the state.
According to him, withholding of funds amounts to a violation of constitutional principles and undermines children’s right to equitable education. He further appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu to raise their voices democratically and demand that the Prime Minister and Union Education Minister release the funds without political bias or linguistic imposition.
“This struggle is not personal,” Senthil said, emphasising that his protest was about safeguarding the state’s educational system.
On Sunday, State Minorities Welfare Minister SM Nasar visited the MP at the hospital to enquire about his health. Members of the Federation of Secondary Grade Teachers, who had cleared recruitment examinations, also called on him to express solidarity and extend their support to his cause. The protest has drawn attention at the national level as well.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi telephoned Senthil on Saturday to express solidarity and lauded his efforts.
Meanwhile, Congress Lok Sabha whip B. Manickam Tagore appealed to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to intervene, calling the Centre’s action an “attack on federalism and democracy.” He reiterated that denying states their due financial allocations amounted to punishing them for political reasons.
With Senthil entering the third day of his fast and his health condition under close medical watch, pressure is mounting on the Centre to respond to the demands. For now, the Congress MP remains firm that his hunger strike will continue until Tamil Nadu receives the SSA funds.
–IANS
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