Modi must hold talks with farmers, insist TN leaders
CHENNAI: Leaders of DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold unconditional talks with the protesting farmers in the national capital against the three farm laws enacted recently by the Centre. The Opposition parties also demanded that the PM announce in the protest venue that the three farm laws would be repealed unconditionally.
In a joint statement issued by MK Stalin among the leaders of the alliance, the Opposition parties said, “The Prime Minister should respect the democratic protest and withdraw the three farm laws and Electricity Amendment Act.”
Urging the Centre to respect the farmers’ sentiments and allow them to protest at Jantar Mantar, the Opposition leaders strongly urged the PM to visit the protest venue, hold unconditional talks with the farmers and announce at the protest venue that the three farm laws would be rolled back.
Describing the livelihood protest of farmers as ‘justified’ and Minimum Support Price (MSP) as the spine of agriculture, the non-BJP leaders said the PM refused to accept when political parties pointed out that the farm laws passed without elaborate discussion in both houses of the Parliament would crush the spine of agriculture.
Remarking that farmers across the country were protesting in New Delhi after realizing the ploy of the BJP-led Centre, which undermined Parliamentary procedures, snatched away farmers’ livelihood and destroyed the food security of the country to gladden the corporate, the SPA leaders said. The whole country was worried over the ruling BJP refusing to show as much interest in the livelihood of 62 crore farmers as it does in winning the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election. Condemning the “fascist minded BJP regime” for insisting that it would hold talks with the farmers only if the protesters move to Burari grounds, the leaders said that it was condemnable that the PM and his cabinet colleagues were only resorting to oppressive methods to crush the farmers’ agitation without any belief in democracy.
The statement was also signed by MDMK general secretary Vaiko, state Congress chief KS Alagiri, CPI state secretary R Mutharasan, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan, VCK president Thol Tirumavalavan and IUML president Khadar Mohideen.