Swaraj Abhiyan, led by psephologist Yogendra Yadav and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking to add Tamil Nadu in its ongoing public interest litigation for drought relief. The case is slated to be heard on April 26.

Swaraj India president Bhushan, who met farmers from Tamil Nadu who have been protesting in the Capital for the past 39 days, said in a statement that the petition urged the apex court to extend its directions given to 10 drought-hit States on food, water, schooling, employment, fodder and debt relief, to the rural population and farmers of Tamil Nadu. Bhushan, accompanied by Jai Kisan Andolan national convenor Avik Saha and Swaraj Abhiyan Vice-President Christina Samy also promised full support and legal action to the protesting farmers.

In a statement, Swaraj Abhiyan said it would lead a ‘yatra’ to the drought-affected districts of Tamil Nadu to do an on-spot survey of the situation.

The Tamil Nadu farmers, who mainly grow paddy, tomato, corn and sugarcane, have been protesting in the Capital, demanding a drought relief package of ₹40,000 crore, farm loan waiver, setting up of a Cauvery Management Board by the Centre, profitable price of farm produce and networking of all rivers by a Smart Waterways Project.

Meanwhile, the political scene is heating up in Tamil Nadu, with the opposition DMK, joined by six political parties, giving a call for a State-wide bandh on April 25, to highlight the plight of TN farmers.

Following the worst North-East monsoon in 140 years, the Tamil Nadu government declared a drought on January 10. About 144 farmers have reportedly committed suicide between October and December 2016, following which the National Human Rights Commission, after take suo motu cognisance, had sent a notice to the State government on January 5.