Tamil Nadu farmers protesting in Delhi took their agitation to the next level on Monday. Upset for not being allowed to meet the Prime Minister, several farmers – led by Iyyakannu – took off their clothes close to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), and ran naked on the road in protest.
The farmers reportedly went to the PMO to submit a memorandum, but were not granted access to any officials.
On their way back from the PMO to Jantar Mantar, where the farmers have been protesting for 28 days, they jumped out of the vehicles and took off their clothes. The protesting farmers were soon arrested. Some of the farmers even rolled on the road naked as police dragged them away.
As he was arrested, Iyyakannu, who is leading the protests, told media persons, “The Prime Minister refused to meet us, that's why we are running naked. This is our sad state, look at our pathetic state.”
“We came here to meet the Prime Minister, but they didn't let us meet him. We have no other place to go, that's why we're running naked,” he said.
TN BJP Leader Condemns Protest
The BJP, which has been at the receiving end of criticism over the continuing protests, has however questioned the method of protest.
We condemn the naked protest. It is wrong. It is wrong for farmers to protest in Delhi... This is a state government issue. Instead of resolving the issue, the state government is actually instigating these farmers to protest in Delhi.Narayanan, a BJP leader to Puthiya Thalaimurai
Over the last month, these farmers from the delta region of Tamil Nadu, have adopted various methods of protest to express their angst against the Central government's alleged apathy. They have held skulls of dead farmers in their hands, dead snakes in their mouth and even shaved their heads and moustaches. While they have met the finance minister, their demand to meet the PM is yet to be met with.
The farmers are demanding that the Centre releases a drought fund of Rs 39,000 crore as requested by the state, waive off farmer loans and ensure pensions for farmers who can no longer work on the field.
(This article was first published on The News Minute.)
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