Has Tamil Nadu government sent detailed report: Pon Radhakrishnan

Chennai: Are farmers agitating at Jantar Mantar knocking at the wrong doors? Wondering why the farmers have not approached the state government, Union minister of state for road transport, highways and shipping Pon Radhakrishnan who raised several key issues, alleged that the state government neither took into account the suicides of 400 farmers in TN nor furnished a detailed report on the farmers' plight to the Centre.

Speaking his mind on the fortnight-long “skull” protest by the Tamil Nadu farmers, demanding formation of a Cauvery Management Committee, linking up of rivers by Smart Waterways Project, drought relief and waiving of farm loans, among other things, Radhakrishnan claimed that the agitation was “motivated” against the Centre though the farmers should have launched the agitation in TN.

The state government which ought to have furnished a report on the Kharif crop status in the month of November to the Central government, had not done so yet and it has not submitted a detailed report on the farmers' plight, too. Given this peculiar situation, the rationale of blaming the Centre by various political parties or the farmers does not arise, the Minister seems to imply.

Mr Radhakrishnan who resorted to his official twitter account to speak out his mind on the raging issue asked, “there have been about 400 farmers' suicides in Tamil Nadu but how many cases have been registered?”

Expressing the hope that the agitating farmers would “realise the truth” the Minister asked, “have the farmers asked if the State government had sent any detailed report to the Centre? Even if they agitate, should it be in Tamil Nadu or New Delhi? I hope, those who are agitating will realise the truth.”