DMK leaders booked for holding cancelled Grama Sabhas

CHENNAI: Following the last-minute cancellation of Grama Sabha meetings by the State government, the principal opposition, DMK, on Friday organised Makkal Sabhai Koottam (People’s Sabha) meetings at several villages across Tamil Nadu. The State government had cited Covid pandemic as the reason for cancelling the meetings, scheduled on the Gandhi Jayanthi day, even as the DMK was planning to raise its voice against the Central government’s Farm Acts at the village-level meetings.   

Attending a People’s Sabha at Pudu Chathiram village in Korattur, Thiruvallur district, DMK president MK Stalin said his party will continue to protest against the Central Acts. Elaborating on the “ill-effects” of the legislations, Stalin condemned the BJP-led government at the Centre and the AIADMK government in the State which voted in favour of the Bills in both the houses of the Parliament. “Not only Tamil Nadu, but also the entire country, including Kerala, Andhra and the BJP-ruled Karnataka, is protesting against the farm laws,” the DMK chief said.

Ministers refute any ulterior move behind cancellation
Meanwhile, Information Minister Kadambur Raju and Revenue Minister RB Udhayaumar denied any political motive behind cancelling the Grama Sabha meetings scheduled on the Gandhi Jayanthi day. When asked about the charge of Stalin that the meetings were cancelled with an ulterior motive, Kadambur Raju said Stalin has been busy finding faults with the State government. “The meetings were cancelled as a precautionary step to prevent the spread of Covid infection since a large number of people could gather at the venues.

There is no other motive.”The minister also charged that Stalin has set a bad precedent by heading a Grama Sabha meeting even after the government cancelled it in view of the pandemic.  “Leader of the Opposition has equal responsibility as the government in preventing the spread of Covid infection. Stalin’s participation in the Grama Sabha did not befit his stature as the Leader of the Opposition,” he added. Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar said in Madurai that the Grama Sabha meetings have been deferred for the time being in view of the Covid situation. “It is unfair to attribute political motives for this decision,” he said.

Nedumaran flays DMK president for the meeting
Flaying the DMK’s People’s Sabha meetings, Tamil Desiya Periyakkam president Pazha Nedumaran said the participation of outsiders in the Grama Sabhas would destroy the objective of such meetings. He further said Stalin could have stage a demonstration along with the party cadres if he wished to condemn the decision of the State government. Stalin attending the meeting would set a bad precedent, he said.

Durai Murugan attends meeting in Vellore, booked
Senior DMK leaders, including Durai Murugan and EV Velu, attended People’s Sabha meetings at villages in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts on Friday. Durai Murugan, party’s general secretary, attended the ‘unofficial’ meeting at Vandranthangal in Katpadi Block. Even otherwise, the Grama Sabha’s couldn’t have happened in Vellore district as the civic body polls were not conducted in the district due to its trifurcation into Vellore, Tirupattur and Ranipet.  

Speaking at the meeting, Durai Murugan criticised the State government for cancelling the Grama Sabhas. “They cancelled the meetings scheduled on Gandhi Jayanthi. This is the first time that grama sabha meetings are cancelled on Gandhi Jayanthi day,” he said. Durai Murugan wondered whether the State government “got enlightened on the pandemic threat only at 9 pm on Thursday”. In Tiruvannamalai, DMK MLA EV Velu chaired a meeting held at Nachananthal village.  

Later in the day, the police registered cases against DMK MLAs and party cadre for holding meetings defying government orders. In Vellore, the police registered four cases against DMK leaders including the party’s general secretary Durai Murugan. MLAs R Gandhi (Ranipet segment) and JL Eswarappan (Arcot) were among the party functionaries booked in Ranipet district where 20 cases were registered. Tirupattur district police registered 10 cases against DMK leaders including two MLAs- A Nallathambi (Tirupattur) and AC Vilwanathan (Ambur). 

BJP’s Vanathi disapproves cancellation
The leaders of AIADMK’s alliance partner BJP expressed a mixed response to the cancellation of Grama Sabha meeting. BJP state deputy president Vanathi Srinivasan said the cancellation of meetings citing the pandemic was uncalled for. She said the meetings could have been conducted by strictly adhering to physical-distancing norms. “The conduct of Grama Sabha meetings would have acted as a platform for the public to understand the benefits of the Farm Acts passed by the Central government,” she said and claimed that there was not much opposition to the legislations from Tamil Nadu.

(With inputs from Vellore, Tiruchy, Coimbatore, Perambalur and Ariyalur)