Palaniswami promises protesting TN farmers to speak to PM Modi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Sunday urged the farmers protesting at Jantar Mantar for the last 39 days to call off their protest and said that he will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and submit a memorandum highlighting their plight.

Speaking to the media, Palanisamy said, "I will take up with PM Narendra Modi the demands put forward by the farmers. I urge them to end this protest."

However, farmer Ayyakanu said, "We want immediate loan waiver for farmers. Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government waived off farmer loans. We also want it."

He asserted that the farmers would continue their month-old protest for loan waiver until Palanisamy ensured their meeting with Modi.

The protesting farmers have been demanding a Rs 40,000-crore drought relief package, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre.

Over the last 39 days, they have shaved their heads, halved their moustaches, held mice and snakes in their mouths, conducted mock funerals, flogged themselves and even carried skulls of other farmers who had committed suicide due to debt pressure.

The protesting farmers yesterday drank their own urine in another desperate bid to draw the government's attention to their plight.

On April 10, they had stripped in front of the prime minister's office here to press for their demands.