TN govt to bring resolution against new farm legislation

STALIN’S REMARKS COINCIDED WITH VARIOUS FARMER UNIONS HOLDING A ‘BLACK DAY’ PROTEST TO MARK 6 MONTHS OF STIR

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will bring a resolution in the assembly asking the Centre to withdraw the three farm laws.

The statement coincided with various farmer unions holding a “black day” protest across the country to mark six months of their agitation against the three laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

In this, Tamil Nadu will join several other non-BJP and nonNDA-led states -- Punjab, Rajast(AIADMK) han, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Kerala, and West Bengal.

A resolution for the rollback of the laws was an election promise of Stalin’s party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK). The CM said that six months have passed but the Union government hasn’t tried to have a constructive dialogue with the farmers to resolve the issue. “This is a matter of concern,” he said.

The previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government, an ally of the BJP, had supported the legislation. But when asked if AIADMK will not back the resolution when it’s tabled, party spokesperson C Vaigaichelvan said the party will hold a meeting to arrive at a fresh decision.

Separately, the state government on Wednesday announced that it was withdrawing 38 cases against political leaders in connection with the anti-Sterlite protests in Thoothukudi in May 2018 in which 13 people were killed in police firing. This was based on the recommendations by the justice Aruna Jegadeesan commission in an interim report, the government said in a statement. Last week, cases against the protesters were withdrawn. However, cases against protesters filed by the CBI and those pending in the Supreme Court have not been withdrawn.