TN farmers hit Delhi's roads again, detained outside PM's residence

Farmers from Tamil Nadu hit the roads of Delhi once again, after promises by their Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami remained unfulfilled.

On Sunday morning, a group of nearly 50 farmers held a protest march from Nizamuddin Railway station to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg, shouting that they have been neglected.

The agitating farmers, however, were detained by Delhi Police before they could reach the Prime Minister's residence, as they were protesting without permission. They were later taken to Parliament Street police station.

"Our demands have not been met, as promised by Chief Minister Palaniswami and Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan. So, we have decided to resume our protest for another 100 days," P Ayyakannu, the leader of the farmers' delegation, said.

Meanwhile, one of the protesters alleged: "We are being ill-treated by the police, despite being are accompanied by some elderly farmers. Their health condition is not good and the police are even not providing drinking water."

The Tamil Nadu farmers have been demanding a drought relief package of Rs 40,000 crore, waiver of farm loans and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre.

They will join an indefinite protest after their counterparts, taking part in a 'Kisan Mukti Yatra', reached Jantar Mantar here on July 18.

On previous occasions, the same group of agitating farmers had grabbed headlines with their unique ways of protest.

Many have been seen protesting besides the skulls of deceased farmers who committed suicide, shaving half of their heads and beards, flogging themselves and stripping outside the PM's office.

Suspending their agitation in April after 40 days of protest, the farmers had said that they would return to Delhi on May 25.

They returned on Sunday to hold demonstrations ahead of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, scheduled to begin on Monday.