A section of farm labourers including some women owing allegiance to the All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) affiliated to the CPI(M) and the Bharatiya Khet Mazdoor Union (BKMU) affiliated to the Communist Party of India staged a demonstration on Friday in support of their demands. The demonstration which lasted over an hour near Anna statue in Chinthamani was led by A. Palanisamy, AIAWU district president and P. Ganesan, BKMU district secretary.
The demonstrators demanded that the stipulated wage of ₹ 273 be given under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Guarantee Scheme without any deduction. They urged the Centre to withdraw the decision to split Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act wage payments by caste categories to the labourers. They demanded the release of all social activists arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon case in Maharashtra and the withdrawal of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
