Tamil Nadu farmers stage protests, support 'chakka jam'

Farmers staged protests here and inother parts of Tamil Nadu on Saturday demanding repeal of thefarm laws in solidarity with the ryots' nationwide 'chakkajam.' Leading an agitation here by raising slogans against theCentre and farm laws, president, coordination committee ofTamil Nadu All Farmers' Association, P R Pandian said theprotest was for seeking justice.

The protests in Tamil Nadu was part of the pan Indiastir and ''this is for seeking justice for farmers, this is notfor political purposes or to inconvenience the generalpublic,'' Pandian told reporters.

Urging scrapping of farm laws, he alleged Prime MinisterNarendra Modi worked for the interests of corporates and hisgovernment barred farmers from entering Delhi.

''If PM Modi does not permit ryots to enter Delhi, farmerswould not allow him to visit Tamil Nadu,'' he said.

Reportedly, PM Modi would visit the state later thismonth to inaugurate several projects and he is also likely toaddress a poll rally.

Pandian said the farmers protest including today's'chakka jam' is for ''fair reasons while the Centre onlyfavoured corporates and not farmers.'' In the national capital, the Centre 'disconnected' waterand electricity supply to ryots and 'confined' them behindbarbed wires, he alleged.

Demanding complete removal of barricades, he wanted thegovernment to provide amenities to farmers and not ''harassfarmers who voted for Modi.'' The Centre was using policeagainst them and it is condemnable, he added.

In Tiruchirappalli, president of the National SouthIndian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association, P Ayyakannuled a 'plough' rally seeking immediate withdrawal of farmlaws.

Farmers organisations staged protests in otherregions including the Cauvery delta towns of Thanjavur,Nagapattinam and Tiruvarur.