AIADMK stages hunger strike supporting mango farmers in Krishnagiri

The AIADMK cadres staged a sit-in hunger strike in protest in Krishnagiri over the fall in mango prices and accusing the DMK government of ‘inaction’ on Friday (June 20, 2025).

The protest held near the new bus stand grounds wa led by the party’s deputy general secretary and Vepanapalli MLA K.P. Munusamy.

The AIADMK has lent solidarity with the mango farmers who are aggrieved by the fall in prices owing to bumper harvest on one hand, and low prices offered by the pulp industry on the other.

The mango pulp industry has claimed poor demand from major beverage companies citing the global conflict that has taken a hit on the demand. The acceptance of the previous orders by the beverage companies was lukewarm and it has brought down new orders, the industry contends. Consequently, farmers are pushed to sell Totapuri variety of mangoes at as low as ₹3 to ₹5 per kg.

The day long token hunger strike witnessed AIADMK cadres led by Mr. Munusamy along with the former Krishnagiri MP K. Ashok Kumar and former Minister Y. Balakrishna Reddy sitting in protest. They were joined by the AIADMK leader and member of Rajya Sabha M. Thambidurai.

However, the party has also demanded that the government announce a support price for mangoes, along the lines of the Andhra Pradesh government, where a support price of ₹4 was offered, while the pulp industry would procure the mangoes at ₹8 per kg.

The protest however, cost a snake its life. Farmers affiliated with the party dumped mangoes at the protest site as a mark of protest. A non-venomous tree snake emerged from the mound of mangoes rattling the onlookers, who killed it eventually.