*Withdraw Teachers’ suspensions immediately: Kalpalatha*

Tadepalli, August 14: Teachers’ MLC Kalpalatha strongly condemned the suspension of three teachers who approached the Union Government seeking TET exemption for in-service teachers, and demanded that the orders be withdrawn immediately.

She said STU district president Sangameswara Reddy and YSR Teachers Association representatives Venkatanatha Reddy and Amaranatha Reddy were suspended merely for joining YSRCP MPs and MLCs in submitting the issue to Union Minister Prahlad Joshi. “Is raising a genuine problem affecting lakhs of in-service teachers now an offence?” she asked.

Kalpalatha said the suspension orders falsely stated that the teachers had participated in a rally concerning DSC irregularities. She clarified that the three teachers had neither spoken about DSC nor submitted any representation on it; their only demand concerned TET exemption for serving teachers.

She said representatives of teacher associations have every democratic right to place the problems of their members before the State and Central governments. Punishing them for doing so sends a message that the Education Department is being run through ‘Red Book’ politics to intimidate anyone who questions the government.

Kalpalatha demanded the immediate revocation of the suspensions of Sangameswara Reddy, Venkatanatha Reddy and Amaranatha Reddy. She warned that continued action against teachers for raising legitimate demands would trigger strong resentment across the State.

“Stop using political vendetta against teachers. Withdraw the suspensions immediately, or the teaching community itself will give this government a fitting response,” she said.