The Commissioner of Collegiate Education has issued a showcause notice to the Joint Director (Planning and Development), Directorate of Collegiate Education, seeking an explanation for having sent a letter to principals of all government colleges directing them to take action to prevent students from participating in protests organised by Left parties and the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP).

The letter, which followed a directive from the Special Secretary of Higher Education that quoted minutes of a Law and Order meeting chaired by the Chief Secretary last month, had elicited considerable backlash from the Left parties, a coalition partner of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in the State, and the civil society.

In the showcause notice issued on Friday, the Commissioner noted that the Joint Director had acted on his own volition while sending the letter to principals of government arts and science colleges on August 17 and did not go through the Commissioner of Collegiate Education. The Joint Director has been given a week’s time to respond to the notice.

In the letter to the principals, the Joint Director had directed them to take action so as to prevent students from taking part in protests and agitations organised by the Left parties and the CJP and submit an action-taken report. After the issue snowballed into a controversy causing embarrassment to the government, the directive from the Special Secretary was withdrawn on August 19 prompting the Joint Director to withdraw the letter as well.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers’ Association (TNGCTA) has strongly condemned the explanation sought from the Joint Director of Collegiate Education. In a statement, S. Suresh, Secretary, TNGCTA, said that the Joint Director had sent the letter to the principals following the directive of the Special Secretary. The Registrar of University of Madras, too, had forwarded the same directive to all affiliated colleges. All these officials, the statement said, were carrying out orders from above. The statement also called for withdrawal of the showcause notice.