Chennai: Denying that the all-party meeting convened by the DMK is for political gains, party treasurer M.K. Stalin on Tuesday said the media in Tamil Nadu had distorted the news about the meeting, besides appealing to the media to be united on Cauvery.
He said the news about the DMK’s all-party meeting was distorted by the media in Tamil Nadu by differentiating, criticising and discussing them. “The feeling of unity shown in Karnataka should be followed not only by political parties and farmers associations in Tamil Nadu, but also by the media here. This is my humble, polite request”, Stalin told reporters who asked him why the unity shown by political parties in Karnataka is lacking in TN.
He asserted that he did not convene the all-party meeting for political gains and over 50 per cent of the parties which had come to the meeting would not have done so, if it was arranged for political gains.
When asked about the boycott of MDMK, VCK and Left parties, Stalin said even the DMDK had boycotted the meeting. He recalled that the DMK agreed to be a part of the DMDK delegation which met Prime Minister Narendra Modi following the actor's request, Stalin said.
Reacting to MDMK general secretary Vaiko's allegation that the DMK which was in power in the Centre till 2014 had not taken steps to notify the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's final verdict given in 2007, the DMK treasurer said the tribunal itself was formed during V.P. Singh's regime due to the efforts of DMK chief M. Karunanidhi. Vaiko was an MP of DMK for 18 years and he knew what had happened. BJP state leaders could verify this from former Prime Minister A.B.Vajpayee, Stalin added.
