DMK Boycotts Delineation Talk, Calls for Firm Action on Mekedatu

Chennai, August 8 – The DMK confirmed its decision to stay away from the parliamentary delimitation consultation convened by the Tamil Nadu government. Deputy General Secretary K. G. Karunanidhi used the occasion to press Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on the pending Mekedatu dam issue.

Karunanidhi asked if the chief minister would authorize a delegation of state legislators and officials to meet the Union Water Resources Minister and hand over the assembly’s resolution opposing the Mekedatu project.

He stressed that the centre has not indicated any intention to introduce a delimitation bill in the ongoing parliamentary session, nor has it suggested altering the existing representation formula, leaving the state with no solid justification for the meeting.

“The agenda is empty; there is nothing to deliberate,” he argued, reminding that the previous DMK‑led administration had already called a multi‑party session on delimitation and passed a proposal reflecting Tamil Nadu’s concerns.

The party’s stance is clear: any delimitation mechanism that could shrink the state’s parliamentary voice or jeopardise its rights will be met with unwavering resistance. Earlier, parties such as the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML participated in the all‑party gathering and rejected any detrimental delimitation approach.

Karunanidhi warned that political parties might only shift their positions if they are included in a genuine consultative process—a step he says the current government has neglected.

He also accused the Tamil Nadu administration of refusing to call a multi‑party meeting on the Mekedatu controversy, despite repeated demands from various political formations. According to him, the decision to hold delimitation talks only when Parliament is idle is a tactic to distract the public from the Mekedatu dispute and the concerns of Cauvery Delta farmers.

The DMK leader suggested that a tangible demonstration of commitment would be to arrange a meeting between a state delegation and the Union Water Resources Minister to protect Tamil Nadu’s rights over the Cauvery river.

“If the government truly cares about the Cauvery Delta farmers, will the chief minister send a team to meet the central minister?” Karunanidhi probed.