Chennai: A section of the farmers, who resumed their protest here since Friday after ending their over 42-day stir in New Delhi pressing for various demands, temporarily called off the protest on Saturday following an assurance from Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami.
Though the CM had called upon a delegation of farmers led by farmers’ leader P. Ayyakannu to withdraw the agitation immediately, while seeking time to delivery upon his promise, Ayyakannu was said to have agreed to suspend the agitation for two months.
“We have decided to withdraw the protest temporarily as the CM has assured us of looking into our demands. If our demands are not met in two months, we will resume our protests,” Ayyakannu told reporters at the Secretariat here on Saturday.
The farmers have been demanding loan waiver, drought- relief package of Rs 40,000 crore, setting up of the Cauvery Management Board, pension to farmers who are aged 60 and above, among the other demands.
Earlier, Ayyakannu and his supporters who were agitating were approached by the police who informed them that the CM had consented to meet them to resolve their issue.
When he agreed and got ready to meet the CM, the police officials asked the farmers representatives to wear shirts before meeting Mr. Edappadi. However, Ayyakannu declined.
The farmers (led by the National South Indian Rivers Inter-Linking Farmers Association chief P Ayyakannu) had staged a protest for over 42 days at Jantar Mantar, pressing for various demands. They withdrew the agitation on April 23 after Mr Palaniswami met them in New Delhi and promised to fulfill their demands. But they resumed an indefinite protest here on Friday.
