BJP ally EPS says DMK acting like Centre’s bonded labourer

Leader of Opposition and AIADMK’s interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday lashed out at the DMK government that it has been serving the Centre like a “bonded labourer” in carrying out acquisition of land for the Neyveli Lignite Corporation expansion. He condemned the state government for forcing the police to oppress the protest of the farmers fighting to safeguard their livelihood. The state should hold a tripartite meeting with the Centre, NLC and the farmers, who were petrified of losing their farmland and livelihood, by forming a committee as per the Rights of Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013, to protect the welfare of the farmers at the earliest, said EPS in a statement. He slammed the DMK government for engaging police force to quell the protest of the farmers and aiding the NLC to carry out its activities to level the farmland for the third power plant.