To stay if demands not met in 32 days: TN farmers resume protest in Delhi

Chennai: In another raging farmer's agitation, farmers from Tamil Nadu, who have been demanding loan waivers, drought relief packages and formation of a Cauvery management board to resolve their irrigation issues, resumed their protest in the national capital on Friday.

Resuming their protest, president of Desiya Thenninthiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayigal Sangam P Ayyakannu said, "Keep the promise you made, withdraw the case from Supreme Court and give pension to farmers above 60 yrs."

"We will be here for 32 days and we will continue to sit here if problem is not solved by then. We will expand agitation all over India," the farmers' leader told ANI.

Accusing the Centre and the state government for failing to address the demands of the farmers, he said, "We condemn the bullets firing at farmers who are backbone of our nation. Soon there will be a nationwide protest and for this we have special meeting on June 16 at Delhi."

The Tamil Nadu farmers earlier withdrew their agitation after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palanisamy assured that he will take up the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to waive off the loan and urged the farmers to end their protest.

The farmers had grabbed headlines for their unique and sometimes bizarre methods of protest since they arrived in Delhi to protest.

Adorned with human skulls around their necks, the farmers attempted to grab the attention of authorities towards their condition and demands for drought relief package.

In August last year, protests erupted in Tamil Nadu after Karnataka refused to release Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu. Karnataka's refusal to Tamil Nadu put the farmers in Delta districts in distress.