Chennai, July 31:
Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday indicated that Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is unlikely to meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay during his upcoming visit to Chennai on August 1. He clarified that the visit is exclusively for a Congress party event.
Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport after arriving from New Delhi, Tagore said Rahul Gandhi would attend the valedictory function of a Congress training camp being held at Mamallapuram. The camp is organised for district presidents and key office-bearers of the party. He added that the detailed itinerary of the Congress leader’s visit would be officially released on Friday.
When asked about the possibility of a meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Joseph Vijay, Tagore dismissed the speculation, reiterating that the visit was solely focused on internal party programmes. He emphasised that Rahul Gandhi would be addressing 74 district presidents as part of the event.
Tagore also used the occasion to launch a sharp criticism of PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss over his remarks on the Mekedatu dam issue. He challenged Anbumani to raise the matter directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi instead of targeting the Congress leadership.
“If Anbumani has the courage, he should tell the Prime Minister in Delhi that he will quit the NDA if the Centre supports the Mekedatu dam project. Speaking aggressively in Tamil in Chennai alone is not enough,” Tagore said.
He further pointed out that Rahul Gandhi, in his capacity as Leader of the Opposition, does not possess executive authority over the Mekedatu project. Tagore questioned why Anbumani expected him to intervene instead of putting pressure on the Union government.
Responding to criticism regarding reports that Chief Minister Joseph Vijay may hold discussions with the Karnataka Chief Minister on the issue, Tagore said there was nothing unusual about such engagements. He noted that former Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers, including M.G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa, had held similar talks with their Karnataka counterparts over the Cauvery dispute in the past.
Tagore reaffirmed that the Congress opposes Karnataka’s move to construct the Mekedatu dam. However, he added that resolving the issue would ultimately require coordinated discussions involving the Chief Ministers of both states and the Prime Minister.
Issuing a warning to Anbumani Ramadoss, Tagore accused him of repeatedly targeting Rahul Gandhi and the Congress while avoiding criticism of the BJP despite being part of the NDA.
“If Anbumani continues to drag Rahul Gandhi and the Congress into unnecessary controversies, we will give a fitting reply and reveal several facts. We are not afraid of his statements,” he asserted.
Reiterating his earlier statement, Tagore concluded by emphasising that Rahul Gandhi’s Chennai visit remains an internal party affair with no official meetings scheduled outside the Congress programme.