MDMK leader brands AIADMK leadership as worse than British Raj

“Even during the British rule, hunger strikes were allowed, but the State government has been refusing permission now. This is against democratic justice,” said Vaiko, while addressing farmers.  Farmers from as many as 13 districts, where overhead high voltage transmission towers pass through have announced of an indefinite strike at Kallipalayam on Wednesday. 

The second round of protests against erecting transmission towers through fertile farmlands was meant to stress their demand to lay underground cables. The Power Grid Corporation of India is erecting the 1,830 kmlong transmission lines between Tirupur and Raigarh in Chhattisgarh to enable electricity transmission from central India to Tamil Nadu. 

However, as police refused permission to hold hunger strike at Kallipalayam, the farmers convened a meeting chaired by MDMK leader Vaiko at a place near Koduvai. Accusing the State government of forcing farmers to part away with their land for the project, Vaiko also blamed the central government of harming Tamil Nadu starting from Cauvery issue to power transmission project.  

“Modi takes pride in creating underway cable infrastructure to transmit high voltage power under earth and sea to Africa and Asia, if so, why couldn’t similar technology be used here?” he asked. As talks with farmers failed to yield any desired results, the government has been carrying out works to install transmission towers in the presence of police.