TN farmers threaten to walk naked to Parliament if demands go unanswered

New Delhi [India], Nov 30 (ANI): Farmers from different corners of the country have started gathering at the Ramlila Maidan on the second day of the two-day protest, demanding debt relief and better Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops.

Over 1,000 farmers from Tamil Nadu have reached Delhi in the early hours of Friday carrying skulls of their colleagues who had committed suicide. The group threatened to march naked if they are not allowed to go to parliament today.

"We are only demanding MSP for us. Today, we expect that the government will announce the Right of Loans and profitable price to the farmers. If they fail to do so, then we (farmers from Tamil Nadu) will march naked to the Parliament," President of National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturalists Association from Tamil Nadu, Ayyakannu, told ANI.

The rally has been organised by the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) for two days (29-30 November) against the ongoing rural distress. The committee claims to be an umbrella body of 207 organisations of farmers and agricultural workers.

The farmers have come from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh.

In the wake of the protest, Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Alok Kumar told ANI that real-time updates will be updated on social media on affected traffic routes. "Commuters are advised to stay updated. Around 1,000 traffic personnel have been deployed in all these routes to plan diversions and to keep traffic smooth," he added.

During the past couple of months, the country has witnessed a number of protests by farmers. On October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, farmers from the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab were not allowed to launch a protest in Delhi, which later led to a violent confrontation with the state police at the Delhi border. (ANI)