CHENNAI: Dismissing speculations that the DMK has softened its stand against the anticipated delimitation bill in Parliament, its youth wing secretary and Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Friday said that there is no change in the party’s stand and that it continues to oppose the boundary marking exercise.
“We have been opposing the delimitation bill from the beginning – for over a year – and we will continue to oppose it,” Udhayanidhi told media persons before participating in the Assembly proceedings. His comments come amid reports that the DMK is likely to soften its stance if the bill for delimitation is again introduced in Parliament.
Later, during the zero hour debate in the Assembly, Minister Aadhav Arjuna to queries from the Opposition on their demand for an all-party meeting in regard to the Cauvery water sharing dispute and the plan for a dam across the river in Mekedatu, sought to know if the DMK would send their MPs for Saturday’s all-party MPs’ meeting called on by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in regard to the anticipated delimitation bill.
To this, Udhayanidhi said, “On the issue of delimitation, it was the DMK that first raised its voice before the entire country did. It was our leader, M K Stalin, who led the fight. Last year, he brought together the chief ministers of five states to Chennai and raised a united voice against delimitation.”
“The TVK government has now convened a meeting of all MPs on the delimitation issue. Our leader, M K Stalin, will hold consultations and take an appropriate decision,” he added.
Subsequently, Minister A Rajmohan invited all the opposition MPs to the meeting convened to “protect the interests of Tamils and Tamil Nadu”.
DMK to participate in all-party MPs meet
Later in the day, DMK general secretary Duraimurugan issued a statement that the party would attend the consultation meeting with MPs called by the state government but insisted an all-party meeting on the Mekedatu dam issue be convened first. “We have no hesitation in attending the MPs’ consultation meeting the incumbent government has called for on August 8 and placing our views on record,” he said.
Udhaya slaps `100-cr notice on news channels
Chennai: Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday sent legal notices, demanding `100 crore each in damages, from two news channels and two of their respective anchors for “misquoting and distorting” his remarks during a farmers’ protest in Thanjavur. The notices pertain to the channels’ broadcast on August 3 and 4 running headlines allegedly suggesting the DMK leader had triggered a “political storm”. According to the notices, the broadcasters misrepresented Udhayanidhi’s speech delivered on August 3 and aired “offending videos”, thereby damaging his reputation. Further, the channels’ interpretation of his remarks was subsequently amplified by other media outlets, they stated.
