Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Friday strongly criticised the DMK government over its handling of protests by nurses demanding equal pay for equal work and permanent employment. He accused the ruling dispensation of showing “zero compassion” towards the working class, particularly women nurses who have been agitating for their long-pending demands.

In a sharply worded statement, Nagenthran condemned the alleged forceful removal of protesting nurses and their confinement in a hall near the Kelambakkam bus stand. He claimed that the nurses were detained without basic facilities such as food, water, or proper amenities, describing the action as “inhumane, authoritarian, and deeply disturbing.”

The BJP leader said it was unacceptable that nurses, who serve patients with care and dedication, were treated like criminals for voicing legitimate demands. He questioned whether such actions reflected the “Dravidian model” of governance often highlighted by the DMK and criticised the government’s slogan of “Empowered Tamil Women” as hollow in light of the alleged detentions.

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Nagenthran further accused the DMK of abandoning its election promises related to employment reforms, wage parity, and job security. He claimed that instead of addressing these unfulfilled commitments, the government had chosen to suppress dissent and silence voices seeking accountability and dialogue.

Referring to inputs from nurse association representatives, he alleged that Health Minister Ma Subramanian spoke to protest leaders in a threatening manner during discussions. Nagenthran described this as indicative of arrogance and intolerance within the government, particularly towards frontline healthcare workers who served selflessly during public health crises.

Concluding his remarks, Nagenthran warned that a government which secures power through promises and later suppresses those who trusted it would face public backlash. He asserted that peaceful protests for rightful demands should not be met with coercion and claimed the DMK had failed in both compassion and accountability—an episode, he said, that voters would remember in future elections.

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