Tiruchy: Mr P. Ayyakannu, veteran farmers leader and state president of the 'Desiya Then Indiya Nathigal Inaippu Vivasayeegal Sangam' has justified the decision of the Sangam not to file 111 candidates against Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Varanasi constituency in the Lok Sabha elections, after a delegation he led had met the BJP's national president Amit Shah at New Delhi recently.
Mr. Ayyakannu told DC that Mr. Shah accepted the Sangam's main demands including linking of major rivers, remunerative price for agriculture produce, waiving all farm loans, stopping imports of genetically modified seeds and food commodities, monthly pension of Rs 5,000 to all farmers for those who crossed their age of 60 and not to differentiate small, marginal and big farmers during any national calamity, among others. Dismissing the allegations against him that he had received a 'huge sum' from the BJP as a quid pro quo for his decision, Mr. Ayyakannu said even the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi was accused of having received a 'huge sum' from the British rulers when he led the freedom struggle through "Ahimsa" method during the 1940s. It was only common to level such allegations against "Ayyakannu, a small farmer ", he added.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Ayyakannu to the Tiruchy police commissioner Dr Amalraj to take suitable action against those who spread false allegations against him on social media network like Facebook, WhatsApp, ripping him apart for his meeting with BJP national president Amit Shahji in Delhi and allegedly accepting "huge sum of money." He explained in his complaint to the commissioner the reasons for withdrawing the farmers plan to field candidates Sri Narendra Modi in Varanasi in this Lok Sabha poll.
