MADURAI: Members of farmers’ association from Madurai district have rebuked State BJP president K Annamalai’s claims of taking farmers to Union Mining Minister over cancelling tungsten mining license and said that the persons mentioned weren’t from the farming community at all. 

Even though Annamalai met some of the villagers at A Vellalapatti on January 10 and assured them of cancelling the project, people he is taking to the Union minister aren’t genuine farmers, the association claims.

 Karuppanan from Arittapatti said those seven persons taken by the BJP leader were not farmers and never took part in any agitation against tungsten mining proposal. 

Earlier during his visit, Annamalai wanted five representatives of Oru Poga Vivasayigal Sangam to be taken to Delhi. 

But Annamalai has not yet contacted any of the genuine farmers in the association, Karuppanan said. It is cause for concern for genuine farmers as the credentials of those taken appear false, he added. 

Even though the villagers were strongly opposing the tungsten mining project, we appreciate taking genuine farmers to such meetings, he said. 

During his Madurai visit, Annamalai had said that he was arranging to take a delegation of seven farmers from Vellalapatti, Arittapatti, Narasingampatti and Kidaripatti to meet the Union minister.