Minister says Jayasurya put on an act in farmers' name, actor Krishna Prasad hits back

Actor-farmer Krishna Prasad has hailed Mollywood superstar Jayasurya for raising the issue of unpaid dues for farmers. He said his colleague spoke for the farming community in general.

He said it was painful that Jayasurya was getting a lot of stick on social media for putting the LDF government in Kerala onto the backfoot by addressing various issues faced by farmers in the state.

"Jayasurya showed immense courage to speak for the farmers. We salute him. He spoke about me because he is my colleague, my friend. But he did not speak for me alone, he spoke for the farmers. It is not right to insult him," Krishna Prasad told mediapersons on Thursday.

I was given the money as a loan amount: Krishna Prasad
Minister for Agriculture, P Prasad, had refuted Jayasurya's claim that Krishna Prasad was among the numerous farmers yet to receive the price for the paddy procured from them.

The minister had said that Jayasurya's viral speech, made in his presence at an agricultural festival at Kalamassery, was merely an act.

According to the minister, Krishna Prasad received the price for his produce several months ago.

But Krishna Prasad has said that is not entirely true. "Yes, I got my money and that happened in a single day. Had the department shown the same urgency in the case of other farmers, they could have easily solved the issue. There are many farmers yet to get their money.

"And I got my money after two-and-a-half months and that too as a loan. Did I give my produce to get a loan amount?" Krishna Prasad said.

"The protest was not about Krishna Prasad. Farmers have not got their money, even the minister said that thousands are yet to get their dues.

"I did not protest to demand money for myself, if that was the case I would have led a single-man protest. Last term a farmer died by suicide," he added.

Krishna Prasad's penchant for farming caught the attention of his colleagues in the film industry a decade ago when he secured the 'best farmer' awards from the Paippad Panchayat and the Changanassery Municipality.