Chennai: The much anticipated all-party meeting convened by the DMK on Tuesday put the ball back in the AIADMK court, requesting the latter to convene a special session of the Assembly to discuss the Cauvery issue.
If the ruling party refused to convene the Assembly session, the DMK would hold another all-party meeting to decide the next course of action, a resolution at the meeting said.
The resolution also wanted the AIADMK to arrange for a meeting of all-party leaders and representatives of farmers with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand the formation of the Cauvery Management Board.
With most of the parties including the AIADMK, BJP, PWA, PMK and DMK ally Puthiya Thamizhagam boycotting the meeting, it turned out to be a show of DMK allies.
Tamil Maanila Congress leader G.K. Vasan, who made an unsuccessful bid to enter the DMK front in the local body elections is the only leader, who is not in the DMK alliance at the moment, to take part in the meet.
Another resolution said the remaining water in the Mettur dam is not sufficient for the Samba crop and demanded a compensation of Rs 30,000 per acre for farmers.
The Centre which agreed to form the Cauvery Management Board later made a U-turn and questioned the Supreme Court's power to order CMB formation, the meeting noted.
Citing the River Water Disputes Act, 1956, the meeting said CMB should be formed immediately after the tribunal order and a notification on CMB formation should be submitted to Parliament after 30 days. It condemned the Centre for diverting the issue for political gains. The meeting also criticised the expert panel headed by G.S. Jha and said the panel's report did not reflect the real situation in TN.
Earlier, speaking at the meeting, Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin said that in Karnataka all parties are united in the struggle for opposing the Supreme Court, tribunal and the rule of law. But, in Tamil Nadu, people feel bitter to fight in favour of SC and tribunal judgments. “
In Karnataka, people are uniting to fulfil negative ideas, but in Tamil Nadu people are reluctant to fulfil constructive objectives and history will point a finger at them. I hope that those who did not come today will join with us tomorrow”.
Since, the state government had refused to hold all-party meet, the DMK had come forward to convene it following requests by parties and farmers' bodies. The DMK would have attended such a meet called by any other party, he asserted.
