TN CM Stalin criticises Centre's handling of farmers' protest in Delhi

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Thursday criticised the central government regarding the high-level security arrangements in Delhi to resist the Punjab farmers' protest.

CM Stalin launched the attack against the Centre in a letter addressed to the DMK cadres regarding the 'Urimaigalai Meetka Stalinin Kural' (Stalin voice to recover the rights) campaign which is scheduled from February 16 to 18 across 40 constituencies.

"Why this much arrangement of security in Delhi like a warzone? To silence the protest of our nation's farmers Union BJP Government has created a situation worse than a warzone," CM Stalin stated in the letter.

"After strong protests from farmers for more than 1 year BJP withdrew three farm laws. But they didn't announce schemes for the welfare of the well-being of farmers. They didn't withdraw the case against farmers. The government is doing atrocities by deploying the Police Force with weapons, roads were filled with barbed wire, jersey barriers and iron nails. Who is the terrorist here...Farmers? Government?," Stalin said.

In the letter, Stalin also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for their policies, saying that they were against "people's welfare".

"When the BJP introduced the three farm laws, DMK opposed that but AIADMK supported that and even AIADMK supports CAA. AIADMK was an accomplice in all BJP's sins to Tamil Nadu. Cadres you have to expose these two parties to the people," he added.

The 'Delhi Chalo' march of the farmers from Punjab against the central government entered the third day on Thursday.

A meeting of the farmer unions and the central government is scheduled today at 5 pm to discuss the issues.

The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they're marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

According to the protesting farmers, the Centre promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, in line with the Swaminathan Commission report.

They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.