Chennai, August 8: Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, the Deputy General Secretary of the DMK, defended the party’s decision to boycott a consultation meeting called by the TVK government regarding delimitation. She questioned Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s priorities and challenged him to take concrete steps against the proposed Mekedatu dam in Karnataka.
Kanimozhi asked if Chief Minister Vijay was willing to send Tamil Nadu government representatives to meet with the Union Minister of Water Resources and personally submit the Assembly resolution opposing the Mekedatu project.
She argued that the TVK government had no immediate basis for calling the meeting on delimitation, as the central government had neither announced plans to introduce a delimitation bill during the current parliamentary session nor proposed any amendments to existing laws.
Explaining the DMK’s decision to stay away from the meeting, she inquired, “What is there to discuss when there is nothing on the table?”
Kanimozhi reminded that the previous DMK-led government had already convened an all-party meeting on delimitation and passed a resolution expressing Tamil Nadu’s concerns.
She emphasized that the DMK remains steadfast in opposing any delimitation process that could reduce the state’s representation in Parliament or adversely affect its rights.
She noted that Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK, and IUML were among the parties that participated in the earlier all-party meeting and opposed any delimitation formula detrimental to Tamil Nadu.
Kanimozhi questioned whether these parties would change their stance simply because they were participating in discussions called by the current government.
Turning to the Cauvery dispute, the DMK leader accused the TVK government of failing to convene an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu issue despite demands from political parties.
She stated that the government decided to hold discussions on delimitation when there was no immediate proposal before Parliament.
She alleged that this exercise aimed to distract the public from the Mekedatu dispute and the concerns of farmers in the Cauvery Delta.
Kanimozhi suggested that the government could demonstrate its commitment to protecting Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery River by arranging a meeting between a delegation of state representatives and the Union Minister of Water Resources.
She asked, “If the TVK-led government is genuinely concerned about the interests of farmers in the Cauvery Delta, will the Chief Minister send state government representatives to meet the central minister?”
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