A group of farmers affiliated to the Desiya Thennindiya Nathigal Enaippu Vivasayigal Sangam was prevented by the police here on Monday from proceeding to Chennai to stage a picketing agitation in front of the Chief Minister’s house in support of their demands.
This was the group’s second such attempt after Friday.
The sangam’s State president, P. Ayyakannu, said the police personnel were deployed in front of his house at Annamalai Nagar here even before the crack of dawn to prevent him from going to Chennai.
He said the police stopped a group of farmers at Tiruchi Junction before it boarded the Chennai-bound Pallavan Express and “took away” tickets of the protesters.
The farmers were brought to Mr. Ayyakannu’s house where they were allegedly kept under “house arrest”.
The farmers demand included declaring Tamil Nadu as drought hit, disbursement of drought relief to farmers, waiver of loans and grant of Rs. 3,000 as pension to every farmer above the age of 60 besides nationalisation and interlinking of majorrivers.
Later, the farmers’ headed by Mr. Ayyakannu went to the Indian Overseas Bank – the lead bank – in the city and appealed to the bank authorities to postpone the auction of jewellery pledged by farmers.
With no fruitful reply from the bank, farmers staged a protest by lying down on the road bare bodied in front of the bank.
They were immediately arrested by the police and evicted from the spot. Those arrested were later released in the evening.
The farmers are demanding Tamil Nadu to be declared drought hit and disbursement of drought relief