PM Modi Treating Us Like Untouchables, Say Protesting TN Farmers

Threatened with removal, the farmers held fort and said they refuse to move until their demands are met.

NDMC threatened to remove Tamil Nadu farmers from Jantar Mantar for allegedly not having permission to protest. (Photo: Aaqib/TheQuint)

New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), with the help of Delhi Police on Thursday removed shelters and posters of many groups protesting at Jantar Mantar, allegedly because they didn’t take permission from the Corporation.

Amongst the many groups were the Tamil Nadu farmers who have been protesting there for over a month, demanding to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asking the Centre to provide an aid of Rs 40,000 crore to the farmers.

Being threatened with removal Thursday afternoon, the farmers held fort and told officials that they will not move from the protest area until their demands are met.

Speaking to The Quint, P Ayyakannu, the farmer leading the protest, said, “We submitted a form for permission like every other group here but these paperworks are just a formality. Their motive is to get us out of here,” he said.

Another farmer Vaithilingam, who has been protesting right from day one blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not keeping the promise he made in the election manifesto. "When he took oath, he asked us to treat him as the 'first servant', but now, he is treating farmers like third-class citizens, like untouchables," said Vaithilingam.

Prashant Bhushan, the Supreme Court lawyer and activist, who visited the protesting farmers said he has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to direct the Centre to include Tamil Nadu in the list of drought-hit states which are eligible for aid. The plea will be heard in the SC next week.

Video Producer: Kavyasri Srinath
Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam