The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced that it will attend a crucial meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs called by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday to discuss the issue of delimitation. DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi called the meeting unnecessary, alleging that it was aimed at diverting public attention from the Cauvery water issue.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced that it will attend a crucial meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs called by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday to discuss the issue of delimitation. DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi called the meeting unnecessary, alleging that it was aimed at diverting public attention from the Cauvery water issue.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced that it will attend a crucial meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs called by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday to discuss the issue of delimitation. DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi called the meeting unnecessary, alleging that it was aimed at diverting public attention from the Cauvery water issue.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced that it will not attend a crucial meeting of Tamil Nadu MPs called by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday to discuss the issue of delimitation.

DMK parliamentary party leader Kanimozhi called the meeting unnecessary, alleging that it was aimed at diverting public attention from the Cauvery water issue.

The AIADMK, an ally of the BJP, has already announced its decision to boycott the meeting. According to reports, out of the state's 57 MPs, only 20 are expected to attend the session, signalling a lack of consensus on the chief minister's initiative. 

The expected attendees include 12 from the Congress, two each from the VCK, CPI, and CPI(M), and one each from the MDMK and IUML. 

Kanimozhi noted that it was DMK president M.K. Stalin who first convened an all-party meeting on the delimitation issue and later held a joint action committee meeting with the chief ministers of other states.

She said that since there had been no official announcement from the Union government about tabling the delimitation Bill in the ongoing Monsoon Session, and since the amended draft Bill was not even available, there was nothing new to discuss.

“Tamil Nadu is not against delimitation, but it should not become a punishment for implementing social and economic welfare schemes effectively for the last 50 years, and that remains the DMK’s firm stand,” she said.

Kanimozhi said the DMK had already made its stand clear that an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu dam issue should be held first.

“While farmers across Tamil Nadu are protesting over the Cauvery issue and demanding an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu dam, the TVK government is maintaining silence on that but has hastily convened a delimitation meeting that no one asked for, which is nothing but a political drama to divert attention from the Cauvery issue,” she said.

The DMK’s decision to boycott the all-party meeting comes amid its spat with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) over the arrest of Udhayanidhi Stalin following alleged offensive remarks he made about actress Trisha.

Meanwhile, the Congress took a swipe at the Opposition party for its decision to boycott the meeting, saying the issue was not about party politics but about Tamil Nadu’s rights, interests and future.

In a post on X, Congress MP Manickam Tagore emphasised that the people of Tamil Nadu were watching and would remember who stood with the state in a critical situation.

The AIADMK, an ally of the BJP, has already announced its decision to boycott the meeting.