CM Manik Saha Defends Police Action Against TET Aspirants, Says Protests Must Be Viewed Under Separate Legal Contexts
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, September 25, 2026
Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha has defended the police action taken against TET-qualified job aspirants during Thursday’s protest in Agartala, while stressing that different agitations cannot automatically be compared because each incident carries its own legal and administrative implications.
The Chief Minister’s remarks came a day after police used water cannons and detained a number of protesters who had gathered near Shiksha Bhavan demanding immediate recruitment of candidates who cleared the 2024 Teacher Eligibility Test (TET). Reports said around 1,856 TET-I and TET-II qualified candidates are seeking completion of the recruitment process.
CM rejects comparison with former militants' agitation
Responding to questions over the police action, Dr. Saha reportedly maintained that the TET protest should not be compared with the recent agitation by surrendered former militants at Hataikatar and other locations.
His position, as conveyed in response to the controversy, was that one incident cannot be judged by comparing it with another, since the circumstances, nature of the demonstrations and applicable legal provisions may be different. The Chief Minister stressed that police action has to be considered according to the specific circumstances and legal implications of each incident.
The comparison had gained public attention after sections of the TET aspirants and others questioned why police used water cannons and detention during their employment-related protest, while the administration's handling of the former militants' highway and railway blockade had followed a different course. Recent reports confirmed that the former militants' agitation had disrupted road and railway movement, including at Hataikatar and other locations.
The TET-qualified aspirants had gathered on Thursday demanding publication of the recommended/merit list and recruitment against government-approved Graduate Teacher (GT) and Under-Graduate Teacher (UGT) vacancies.
The situation became tense when police intervened. Water cannons were deployed and several protesters were taken into custody. One report put the number detained at around 100, with the detainees taken to the AD Nagar Police Lines.
Police subsequently explained that the action was taken after receiving intelligence inputs about the possibility of a cognisable offence and that water cannons were used to clear the busy Office Lane area. Sadar SDPO Panna Lal Sen described the force used as mild.
Protesters, however, alleged that police action was excessive and that some participants were manhandled during the dispersal. These allegations have been disputed by the police account.
The confrontation has once again brought the prolonged TET recruitment issue to the forefront.
The aspirants maintain that after qualifying in the 2024 TET-I and TET-II examinations, they went through the subsequent recruitment process and that document verification of around 1,856 candidates had already been completed. They are demanding that the recruitment process be completed without further delay and that all eligible candidates be considered together.
The government, meanwhile, has maintained that it is examining the matter. The Chief Minister had earlier appealed to TET-qualified candidates to refrain from agitation, saying that the government was monitoring the issue and that those entitled to appointment would receive what was due to them.
The Teachers' Recruitment Board, Tripura (TRBT), has also pointed to pending cases before the Tripura High Court as one of the factors affecting preparation of the final merit/recommendation process.
The Chief Minister's latest remarks are likely to intensify the wider debate over how different protests are handled by the state administration.
For the TET aspirants, the immediate issue remains employment and a definite recruitment timeline. For the administration, the legality of the gathering, maintenance of public order and circumstances surrounding each protest remain relevant factors in determining police response.
The central question now is whether the government can resolve the recruitment uncertainty through a clear legal and administrative roadmap, while preventing further confrontations between unemployed youth and the police.
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