Cauvery water dispute: DMK, allies not to participate in all-party meeting convened by Kamal Haasan

CHENNAI: The DMK and its allies have decided not to participate in a meeting convened by actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam on the Cauvery water issue.
Kamal has convened an all-party meeting on May 19 to discuss the fallout of the Supreme Court judgment and the Centre's stand on the issue.

He had called on DMK working president M K Stalin at the party headquarters and personally invited him to participate in the meeting. Representatives of delta farmers’ associations were also invited to the meeting.

"The DMK and eight other friendly parties have decided not to participate in the all-party meeting convened by Kamal Hassan," Stalin to reporters here on Thursday.

The DMK leader did not mention any reason for not participating in the meeting.

On the political situation in Karnataka, Stalin charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi of murdering democracy in the country. "Tamil Nadu has a minority government, and the country knows that the Prime Minister has ensured that a minority government assumed charge in Karnataka too. It is against the Constitution and the DMK condemns the continuous happenings of murder of democracy in the country," said Stalin.

He said governors of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and several other states were favouring the Centre.

Earlier, Stalin took to social media to criticise Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala's action. "The Karnataka Governor's hasty invitation to the BJP to form a government despite majority of the MLAs forming a post-poll alliance is arbitrary and unconstitutional. Such a move will lead to horse-trading. It will destroy our democratic foundations," tweeted Stalin.