Chennai, Aug 3:
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president Manickam Tagore addressed the media at Sathyamurthy Bhavan in Royapettah, outlining the party’s stand on delimitation, Cauvery water disputes, and recent political developments.
He said the 10-day training camp for district presidents of the TNCC, which began on the 22nd, concluded yesterday. Several experts and leaders from different fields interacted with district presidents during the camp, offering valuable insights through discussions and Q&A sessions.
Tagore noted that the training could not be held earlier due to the Assembly elections that followed soon after the appointment of new district presidents in January. He added that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the concluding session and spent nearly six hours interacting with district leaders and party functionaries.
Discussions were held on strengthening the Congress party in Tamil Nadu and improving coordination between the TNCC and the All India Congress Committee in Delhi. Strategies for governance in Tamil Nadu in the event of forming the government after the 2029 Lok Sabha elections were also discussed.
On delimitation, Tagore alleged that the BJP government is attempting to reintroduce the bill in Parliament, despite it having been opposed earlier. He accused the BJP of engaging in backdoor political maneuvers, including weakening regional parties such as the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, to push the proposal.
He said the bill could be introduced in Parliament at any time next week and claimed that the Centre had temporarily delayed it due to the nationwide attention on the July 20 police action against students protesting against NEET.
Tagore reiterated that both the All India Congress Committee and the TNCC strongly oppose delimitation, calling it anti-Tamil Nadu and against the interests of the state’s people. He said the Congress would work with other opposition parties to defeat the bill, just as it had done earlier in Parliament.
He further alleged that the BJP is using “aggressive politics” to support delimitation, which he said would harm ordinary people. Referring to past election claims by the BJP, he pointed out that despite promising 400 seats, the party secured only around 250, indicating public resistance to the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Tagore said that although the Congress has exited the Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu, its stance against delimitation remains unchanged. He asserted that all 13 Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu would oppose the bill, calling it a betrayal of the state.
On political alliances, he said discussions are ongoing among opposition leaders, but declined to comment on parties outside the alliance.
He noted that during the previous attempt to pass the bill, protests erupted in Tamil Nadu, including fireworks and symbolic burnings, and expressed confidence that those who opposed it earlier would continue to do so.
Tagore accused the PMK, AIADMK, and BJP of supporting delimitation previously and said it remains to be seen if more parties would join them. Quoting Rahul Gandhi, he said those who support delimitation are “traitors.”
On the Cauvery issue, Tagore criticised Karnataka leaders, saying they speak only for their state’s interests. He stressed that Tamil Nadu’s welfare must be prioritised and called for dialogue between the Chief Ministers of both states to ensure water sharing.
He expressed concern over the lack of unity among Tamil Nadu political parties on issues such as the Mekedatu and Mullaperiyar dams, contrasting it with Karnataka, where leaders across parties unite for their state’s interests.
Tagore said leaders like D.K. Shivakumar, B.S. Yediyurappa, and H.D. Kumaraswamy in Karnataka stand united, while Tamil Nadu lacks similar cohesion. He urged all parties in Tamil Nadu to come together and said he is ready to join hands with leaders like Nainar Nagendran to fight for the state’s rights.
Responding to criticism from Dayanidhi Maran, Tagore said it would become clear who had betrayed trust and warned against making unnecessary and excessive remarks.
He defended Rahul Gandhi’s comments on delimitation, stating that they were made out of concern for Tamil Nadu. He added that issues cannot be resolved without dialogue and cautioned against politicising the Cauvery issue.
“India is not Pakistan; Karnataka is a neighbouring state. Dialogue between Chief Ministers is a positive step, and discussions on the Mekedatu dam must take place,” he said, reiterating the TNCC’s commitment to unity on issues concerning Tamil Nadu.