Anti-farm Bills stir on Sept 28: DMK

In a resolution adapted to this effect in the meeting chaired by DMK president M K Stalin at his party headquarters Anna Arivalayam on Monday, the opposition parties said that it was worrisome that the ruling BJP was trying to impose in Tamil Nadu a ‘model’ which had failed in Bihar. Accusing the Centre of trying to trap the state farmers using a tricky law, which would push them into hardship, the resolution said the Centre should repeal the Bills that would further jeopardise federalism.

The opposition parties also offered its support to the September 25 nationwide agitation called for by All India Farmers Coordination Committee and seconded the committee’s statement accusing the Centre of giving up its price guarantee to farmers and leaving them at the behest of corporate.

The meeting firmly believes that the Bills moved by the BJP led Centre and supported by the AIADMK government in the state, which together refused to waive farm loans, would deprive farmers of market freedom and facilitate limitless stocking or rather ‘hoarding’ of farm produce, the resolution said, adding that the bill was an attempt to bring agriculture into the tax bracket.

The opposition also condemned chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami led AIADMK regime for supporting the Bills which would allow the Centre to appropriate the rights of the State vis-à-vis trade within the states.

DMK treasurer Duraimurugan, state Congress president KS Alagiri, VCK leader Thol Tirumavalavan, MDMK leader Vaiko, CPI state secretary Mutharasan, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan and a few other alliance party members attended the meeting. Stalin had earlier asked EPS to tender an apology to the state farmers for supporting the Bills to save himself from corruption cases.