TN farmers protest against state's move to double pay of MLAs

A day after Tamil Nadu government announced almost 100 per cent hike in MLAs' salaries, farmers from the state protesting in the national capital resorted to a "footwear" stir opposing the move.

The farmers at Jantar Mantar today hit themselves with footwear as a "punishment" for voting for the state legislators who have allegedly turned a deaf ear towards farmers' issues.

"We regret to have voting for such legislators. When we are begging in front of the government to fulfil our demands, the state government is hiking salaries of MLAs by 100 per cent," farmers' leader P Ayyakkannu told PTI. The life of a farmer is worse than the life of a beggar, he said.

The farmers continued their protest for the fifth day in the national capital demanding a farm loan waiver, crop insurance for individual farmers and setting up of Cauvery Management Board by the Centre.

The Tamil Nadu government had yesterday almost doubled the salary and allowances of MLAs, taking their new pay packet to Rs 1.05 lakh per month.