Stir will continue till Bills are repealed, vows Stalin

Launching an all-out assault against Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP regime on various issues, Stalin, addressing farmers at Kancheepuram during the statewide agitation called for by his party-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA), said the people were ready to dismiss the governments which plunder even during the pandemic. He also added that along with allies will announce the next protest and it would not cease till legislations are repealed.

Stalin also targetted the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami for acting against poor farmers. “Together, the poor mother’s son and the farmer did nothing good for either poor people or farmers.”

Claiming that the whole nation has risen against the farm legislations, Stalin referred to Shironmani Akali Dal’s exit from NDA and declared that his party-led opposition would move the Court on behalf of the people against the legislations, if the ruling AIADMK does not. “I don’t claim to be a farmer. I stand by farmers when they are in distress,” said Stalin.

Meanwhile, during the protest across Cauvery Delta region, DMK and it’s allies flayed that the only farmer in Tamil Nadu who supported the bill is the Chief Minister. Members from DMK and its allies, led by DMK principal secretary KN Nehru staged a demonstration against the Central and state governments in front of the Tiruchy Collectorate claiming that they do not care about the farmers. “Farmers were receiving incentives directly from the government as they sold their paddy in the DPCs. But the new Bill will abolish the DPC system. So, farmers would face losses and quit agriculture,” said Nehru.

“The Bill will also force the cane farmers to sell their prodcue at cost fixed by mills, which again would be detrimental to farmers, Nehru added.

Meanwhile, the CPI state secretary R Mutharasan who led the protest in Kumbakonam told the reporters that the Centre has been continuously introducing several regulations against the interest of the farmers. “The Prime Minister who claims to speak from the heart in the Mann Ki Baat programme, actually acting heartless against the farmers.”

Protests were held in as many as 166 places across the eight central districts.

DMK president MK Stalin condemned the union government for allowing field trial of BT Brinjal in Tamil Nadu among eight states. Stalin asked Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to reject the field trial which would jeopardise farming in the state. Echoing the alleged apprehension of farmers that BT Brinjal would endanger the livelihood of farmers and cause drastic consequences in farm sector, Stalin said that imposition of BT seeds amid stiff resistance from farmers was condemnable. Meanwhile, Stalin advised the CM to increase the MSP of rice to Rs 3,000 per quintal as the meagre increase has only angered the ryots. He said the farmers know that the MSP announcement was an attempt to divert farmers from the AIADMK regime’s support to the anti-farmer legislations.