DMK Announces Boycott Of Vijay’s Tamil Nadu MPs Meet On Delimitation
DMK rejects Vijay’s meeting on delimitation, calling it a ‘charade’.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has decided to boycott a meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs called by Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on the issue of delimitation in Chennai on Saturday. DMK Rajya Sabha MP Kanimozhi described the meeting as a "charade" and alleged that it was intended to divert attention from the ongoing dispute over the Cauvery and Mekedatu dam issues. The decision has added to the political differences between the DMK and the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government.
Kanimozhi said the DMK, under party president M.K. Stalin, had consistently opposed any delimitation exercise that could affect Tamil Nadu's representation. She pointed out that the Union government had not officially announced that a delimitation bill would be introduced or passed during the ongoing parliamentary session. She also said that a revised draft of the proposed legislation had not been made available to the party, questioning the timing and purpose of the meeting called by the Chief Minister.
The DMK leader argued that political parties in Tamil Nadu had already adopted resolutions expressing their position on delimitation during earlier all-party meetings. Since those parties continued to hold the same position, she questioned the need for another meeting. Kanimozhi asked whether the purpose was to persuade parties to change positions they had already unanimously adopted on protecting Tamil Nadu's representation and seeking what the DMK describes as fair delimitation.
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Kanimozhi also linked the boycott to the ongoing political dispute over the Cauvery water issue and the proposed Mekedatu dam in neighbouring Karnataka. She alleged that the TVK government was attempting to shift attention away from protests over the issue by convening the delimitation meeting. The DMK has been demanding an all-party meeting specifically on the Cauvery and Mekedatu issues and has criticised the Vijay government for not acting on that demand.
The dispute intensified in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday when Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin raised the Mekedatu issue. Vijay said he had proposed discussions with Karnataka on the Cauvery matter because he believed there was some possibility of a positive outcome. He also said he did not want to engage in what he described as cheap politics over the issue. Kanimozhi subsequently asked whether Vijay would send a delegation of state representatives and MPs to meet the Union Water Resources Minister and submit the Assembly resolution opposing the Mekedatu dam.
Meanwhile, Congress and Left parties, which were former allies of the DMK and are now part of the Vijay government, have urged Stalin's party to attend the delimitation meeting. Congress MP Manickam Tagore appealed to parties to place Tamil Nadu's interests above political differences and participate in the meeting. The DMK's decision to stay away is expected to keep the focus on the growing political contest over delimitation, the Cauvery dispute and the Mekedatu project.
Also Read: CM Vijay: Even Hostile Nations Talk to Resolve Disputes
