DMK to skip INDIA alliance meet in Delhi; cites ‘Congress’ betrayal’

Tamil Nadu’s principal opposition party, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), has announced that it will not be taking part in the June 8th New Delhi meeting of the Congress-led INDIA front, the country’s primary opposition bloc. Saying that the party had been invited for the meeting, DMK stated that it would be skipping it “out of respect for the feelings of the DMK party comrades who are deeply hurt by the betrayal committed by the Congress party against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam after the assembly general elections held in Tamil Nadu.”

Last month, actor-politician Vijay’s TVK emerged as the single-largest party in the Assembly polls, pushing the incumbent DMK to a distant second place. However, as Vijay’s debutant TVK party fell short of the majority mark, the Congress broke away from its decades-long alliance with the DMK and offered support to Vijay’s TVK to form the government.

After forming a coalition government with direct support from Congress and external support from CPI, CPI(M), VCK, IUML, Vijay even inducted legislators from Congress, VCK, IUML as Ministers in his cabinet. Despite having only five legislators in a house of 234, Congress has two Ministers in Vijay’s cabinet, and the TVK has also allocated a Rajya Sabha berth to the Congress.

After the Congress broke away from the DMK-led front to support the TVK, there has been a public exchange of words between the leaders of the two former allies. Notably, on 7th May, DMK MP Kanimozhi had written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, requesting suitable changes in the seating arrangement of the DMK MPs in the Lower House of Parliament. “In view of the changed political circumstances and as our alliance with the Indian National Congress has come to an end, it may not be appropriate for our Members to continue occupying the present seating arrangement alongside them in the House,” said the request letter.

DMK’s statement on skipping the INDIA meet

Citing its stance, the DMK said that it was the first political movement to oppose everything that was against democracy, secularism, and states’ rights, including NEET exam, constituency realignment (delimitation), SIR imposed hastily at election time, the actions of the Election Commission, One Nation One Election, Waqf Act, FCRA amendment, etc. It has been the first political movement to stand up and fight for these measures democratically in Parliament, in the Legislative Assembly when it was in power, and in the courts when it was appropriate.

“Since the inception of the ‘INDIA’ alliance, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has been the central force of the alliance. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader MK Stalin has been the main voice on the important issues facing the people of the country. This is well known to the parties and leaders of those parties that are part of the India alliance,” DMK said. It added that the betrayal committed by the Congress party against the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam is the reason for skipping the meet.

Though DMK is not participating in the upcoming Delhi meeting, the party says it will voice out on national issues being raised by other parties that are taking part, the statement said.