Farmers arrested for besieging Tiruchy Collectorate

TIRUCHY: Tension prevailed for while at the Tiruchy Collectorate on Friday after a group of farmers walked out of the grievance meeting hall and protested near the main entrance condemning the fertilizer price hike. Police present on the premises forcefully removed them resulting in an altercation between the personnel and the farmers.

The farmers’ grievance redressal meet was held on Friday and Collector S Sivarasu presided. Soon after the commencement of the meeting, P Ayyakannu, the state president of Desiya Thennindiya Nadhigal Inaippu Sangam, stood up with a petition on the fertilizer price hike issue and tried to speak. But, the Collector did not give him a chance to speak and asked other association leaders to put forth their grievances.

Irked by the Collector’s treatment, Ayyakannu along with his supporters raised slogans and walked out of the grievance hall. He sat near the main entrance of the Collectorate preventing the staff from entering the premises and continued to raise slogans. On information, a police team rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating farmers.

However, the farmers did not pay heed to the police advice and continued shouting slogans against the fertilizer price hike.

As efforts to pacify the protesters failed, police attempted to forcibly remove all the farmers and this resulted in an altercation between the personnel and the farmers.

Police arrested all the farmers and took them to the Armed Reserve Force Hall. They all were released in the evening.