New Delhi: Farmers from Tamil Nadu who have been on protest sit-in New Delhi for the past 40 days, on Sunday announced suspension of their demonstration till May 25 after they met state Chief Minister E. Palaniswami.
Palaniswami assured the farmers of his help and said that he will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the loan waiver.
The farmers have been on protest sit-in at Jantar Mantar in the capital seeking loan waivers, drought relief packages and formation of a Cauvery Management Board to resolve their irrigation issues.
Palaniswami earlier urged the farmers to call off their strike and assured them of taking up their demands with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He made the remarks after visiting the farmers at Jantar Mantar, for the first time, on the 41st day of their protest in which they have been demanding a Rs-40,000 crore drought relief package, farm loan waiver and setting up of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre.
"I will be taking up the issue of loan waiver among others with the prime minister while meeting him on Sunday," Palaniswami said.
The chief minister also talked about the steps the state government had taken to mitigate the hardship of farmers.
"We had even submitted a memorandum comprising various demands from the state during my previous meeting with the prime minister," he said. "Therefore, I request the protesting farmers to call off their strike."
Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, who also accompanied Palaniswami, said the Tamil Nadu government was working on the demands raised by the protestors.
Asked about the political situation in Tamil Nadu, the chief minister said he would like to comment only on the farmers' issues.
