Leaders of a group of farmers organisations said here on Saturday that they would resort to a blackflag protest in Coimbatore against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the South India Natural Farming Summit scheduled to be held there on November 19.
The Prime Minister had no moral right to participate in the organic farming conference after sanctioning ₹500 crore for genome editing in agricultural crops, leaders of farmers’ associations contended at a joint press conference here.
Addressing reporters on behalf of various organisations, P. Ayyakannu, president, Desiya Thennidiya Nadigal Innaippu Sangam; S. Nallasamy, coordinator, Tamil Nadu Toddy Movement; and Cauvery Dhanapalan, president, Tamil Nadu Vivasyigal Sangankalin Kootiyakkam, said the protest was to condemn the Prime Minister’s failure to keep his promise of doubling farmers income; failure to fix remunerative prices for farm produce, including organically grown farm produce; prevent Karnataka’s move to build a dam across the Cauvery at Mekedatu; and implement the Godavari-Cauvery river linking project.
Members of the Desiya Thennidiya Nadigal Innaippu Sangam will separately leave for New Delhi early next week to stage an agitation in front of the Prime Minister’s residence to press their demands, Mr. Ayyakannu said.
Published – November 16, 2025 05:08 pm IST
