Chennai, Aug 8:
The two Dravidian majors DMK and the AIADMK and their existing allies have decided to boycott the all party MPs meeting on the proposed Delimitation convened by the ruling TVK headed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay later today.
They instead wanted Vijay to break his silence on the key Cauvery issue and first convene an all party meeting on this and that suddenly calling for a MPs meet on Delmitation was aimed at diverting the people’s attention.
The DMK and its allies, the DMDK and MNM of actor-politican Kamal Haasan, would boycott the meeting as it was unnecessary and that there was nothing more to discuss, especially when there was no official information from the BJP-led Government on introducing a Delimitation Amendment Bill in Parliament.
Another opposition party, the AIADMK and its partner, the PMK, which has a lone RS MP, would also boycott the meeting.
However, the alliance parties and those supporting the TVK regime, including the Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI-M and IUML are likely to attend the meeting.
Tamil Nadu has a total of 59 MPs–39 in Lok Sabha and 18 in Rajya Sabha.
At a time when the BJP has been reaching out to Opposition parties seeking support for delimitation, the DMK (as part of INDIA bloc), had earlier stoutly opposed it and had even tore the copies and ensured its defeat when it was introdudced in Parliament.
Now it seemed to have diluted its stand after the DMK said it would take a decision only after seeing the full content of the Bill to be tabled in Parliament, indicating that it was moving closer to the union Government after it distanced itself from the INDIA Bloc after Congress had severed its ties post Assembly polls in TN.
In a statement here, DMK Parliamentary Party Leader Kanimozhi said there was no change in the party’s stand in opposing Delimitation and cited the resolutions adopted at the all party meeting held by it in which it was resolved to freeze the exercise for further 30 years and bring in an Amendment to this effect in Parliament.
It also recalled that assurance given by the then Prime Minister in 2000 that the Delimitation exercise would be carried out based on the 1971 census and sought an assurance from the union government freezing the exercise for another 30 years from 2026.
While insisting that there should not be any change in Tamil Nadu’s present 7.18 per cent representation in Parliament, she also urged the Centre to bring in Amendments to increase the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seats based on the 1971 census.
Kanimozhi also said Tamil Nadu per se was not against Delmitation, but at the same time it should not be penalised for successfully implementing various socio-economic welfare measures and population control measures during the last 50 years.
She said the DMK remains committed to a “fair delimitation” process that does not reduce Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation. The DMK remains firm in this stand and will definitely oppose any move to reduce Tamil Nadu’s parliamentary representation….there is no change in it”, she added.
At a time when all the parties are demanding an all party meeting on the lifeline issues of Cauvery and Mekedatu, the TVK has been maintaining a stoic silence and has unilaterally, without consulting any party, has hurriedly called for an all party MPs meet on Delmitation.
It was nothing but a political drama aimed at diverting the people’s attention, Kanimozhi, who is also the DMK Deputy General Secretary, said, adding, all the MPs from Tamil Nadu should come forward and unitedly meet union Jal Shakthi Minister and submit a copy of the resolution adopted in the Asembly on the Cauvery row.
She also sought to know whether the Chief Minister was ready to depute the representatives of the Tamil Nadu government to be part of the delegation.
Meanwhile, sources in AIADMK, which has three members in Rajya Sabha said,it would boycott the meeting. It said Vijay should have called leaders leaders of the parties before calling the MPs. “This is like a producer releasing a movie directly in theatres bypassing distributors.