Coimbatore: There will be a day when the farmers themselves will request to bring in the withdrawn agricultural laws in order to protect them from vested interests, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president in Tamil Nadu, K Annamalai, said on Thursday.
The Centre had brought in the three farm laws for benefit of the farmers but the drama enacted by various opposition parties, including DMK in Tamil Nadu and some vested interests forced the riots to turn against the government and the laws, Annamalai said. This made Prime Minister Narendra Modi withdraw the farm laws, the BJP state chief told reporters at Annur.
K Annamalai was at Annur to launch the BJP protest against the Tamil Nadu government's call to acquire 3,800 acres of fertile land in six villages there and Mettupalayam for setting up an industrial estate.
Almost all farmers and their associations opposed this move and decided on agitation urging the administration to scrap the project, he further said.
Stating that the contract farming is already there due to which egg, turmeric and other farm items are produced, Annamalai claimed that the proposed industrial estate was for benefit of big corporates and the state government was colluding with them.
The reason for starting this project was abundant availability of water through Avanashi Athikadavu Water project, 70% of which is utilised for farmland, Annamalai said.
Assuring the farmers that BJP would exert pressure on the Tamil Nadu government for scrapping this project, he said that if the party failed, it would approach the Centre.
The AIADMK has also opposed the project, Annamalai said, adding that he has had a discussion with former minister SP Velumani early this morning in this regard.