DMK, allies not to attend Kamal Haasan's Cauvery meet

Chennai: In a setback to actor Kamal Haasan who has proposed to rally all the political party leaders under a common platform on Cauvery issue, DMK working president M. K. Stalin said that 9 parties, including the DMK, will not participate in the Kamal's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) meeting on Cauvery slated for May 19.

The actor-turned-politician had called on Mr. Stalin at Anna Arivalayam here on May 14 and invited him to attend the MNM's "Tamil Nadu's voice for Cauvery,' to be conducted in Chennai to discuss and demand Tamil Nadu's rightful share of water from different dams. Representatives of the 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," Mr. Stalin told rep-orters here on Thursday. He however did not mention the reason for not taking part in the meeting.

 Turning to the political situation in Karnataka, Mr. Stalin accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "murdering the 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," he said. The governors of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and several other States were favouring the Centre, he added. CPI (M) leader R. Nallakannu will also not lead Kamal Haasan's farmers' conclave on Cauvery.