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Tiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil, who launched an indefinite hunger strike demanding the release of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) funds to Tamil Nadu, announced on the night of Monday, September 1, that he was temporarily ending his protest.
The Congress MP’s fast, which had entered its fourth day, was called off following appeals from Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal, as well as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and leaders from the INDIA bloc. Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K Selvaperunthagai urged him to withdraw the protest, arguing that it diverted attention from Rahul Gandhi’s nationwide ‘Vote Chori’ campaign.
Sasikanth’s health deteriorated on the second day of the protest, with doctors noting a rise in his blood pressure. He was admitted to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai and placed under medical observation.
He had begun the fast on Friday, August 30, demanding that the Union government release funds due to Tamil Nadu. Accusing the BJP-led government of withholding Rs 2,152 crore under SSA, Sasikanth said the delay directly impacts the future of 43 lakh students and 2.2 lakh teachers in the state.
In a statement, he said, “This struggle has given me the opportunity to highlight the gravity of the issue before the people. To continue the fight for students’ educational rights with greater vigour, I am temporarily ending my hunger strike, respecting the appeals of everyone.”
The MP’s hunger strike came in response to the Union government’s refusal to release Rs 2,151.59 crore in education funds unless Tamil Nadu adopted the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The state has strongly rejected NEP, raising concerns over the imposition of the three-language formula, which many view as an attempt to promote Hindi.