Visakhapatnam: Nara Lokesh slams govt for suspending Visakha teacher

Visakhapatnam: TDP national general secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh on Thursday strongly objected to the suspension of a government teacher in Visakhapatnam district just for forwarding a social media message that was posted by somebody else.

Lokesh said that S Naidu was working as an SGT (secondary grade teacher) at Upparagudem primary school in Natavaram mandal of Visakhapatnam district. He was now targeted by the Chief Minister.

"He just forwarded a message on social media but the government is making an allegation that he posted a wrongful message. The teacher's right to freedom of expression has been infringed by the ruling YSRCP leaders," he alleged in a statement released at the party headquarters in Mangalagiri.

Lokesh asked whether it would be lawful to suspend a respectable teacher on such a flimsy ground. In that case, what action should be taken against Jagan Mohan Reddy for humiliating the teachers by making them do duties at the shops that sold cheap liquor, he asked.

He demanded immediate and unconditional withdrawal of the SGT teacher's suspension orders with due respect to the rule of law in the state. Harassment of teachers became a regular feature and a habitual offence of this Government, he said.

Even during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the Jagan government subjected them to a lot of suffering and mental anguish.

Decrying the government's suppressive tactics, Lokesh said the YSRCP would eventually pay a heavy price for ill-treating the government employees and teachers.

For just asking for a mask, Dr Sudhakar was arrested, paraded in the street, branded insane and deprived of salary.

Chirala Dalit Youth Kiran Kumar was beaten to death just for not wearing a mask. Om Pratap was hunted till his suspicious death just for questioning high prices of cheap liquor brands. The MANSAS employees were being denied their salaries just for questioning the government's wrong policies, he said.