Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) announced the withdrawal of cases filed against protesting farmers and teachers between 2021 and 2026, during the previous DMK regime.

Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, he said the government would respect the democratic rights of farmers and teachers who had protested peacefully. “The government has decided to withdraw the cases on humanitarian grounds and in accordance with democratic norms,” he said.

Mr. Vijay said the Goondas Act had been invoked against farmers in Tiruvannamalai district who opposed the acquisition of their lands for the SIPCOT industrial park.

“Cases were filed in an inhuman manner against farmers who had continuously fought against the acquisition of their lands, waterbodies, and agricultural lands, as it would affect their livelihood. The cases are pending. Now, the government has decided to withdraw them,” he said.