The Madras High Court has ordered the Tamil Nadu government to remove over 300 sanitation workers who have been protesting outside the Ripon Building.
The workers are demonstrating against the decision to privatize sanitation services in zones 5 and 6 of the Chennai Corporation.
The protest, which began on the 1st of the month, has been ongoing day and night, drawing support from various political parties, including the AIADMK, TVK, BJP, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Naam Tamilar, as well as actors.
In court, the government argued that the protest was disrupting public life and affecting a nearby hospital. The workers’ representatives, however, claimed that their protest was not causing any inconvenience.
After hearing both sides, Chief Justice M.M. Srivatsava and Justice Sundarmohan ruled that while the workers have a right to protest, they cannot occupy a road or pavement.
They instructed the government to remove the protesters but also stated that the workers should be allowed to protest in a designated area. The judges also advised the sanitation workers to carry out their protest without causing any public disruption.
