Vaiko skips INDIA meet for Parl session, set to feed Oppn

CHENNAI: The virtual meeting of the INDIA bloc organised to forge consensus on key issues to raise during the Monsoon session of Parliament beginning Monday might have inspired some confidence within the opposition nationwide, but it has cast a shadow over the alliance in TN.

All members of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) attended the meeting, except MDMK general secretary Vaiko, who was conspicuously absent despite promising to attend the same. It might be a bit premature to interpret, but by missing the meeting, the MDMK could provide fodder to the opposition, especially the BJP and AIADMK, that are desperate to lure the party into their fold.

One SPA alliance leader, who attended the meeting, confirmed his abstention and said that they were unsure of the cause of it. From Tamil Nadu, Rajya Sabha MP ‘Tiruchi’ Siva, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, national leaders of CPI and CPM, IUML president Khadar Mohideen, MMK president MH Jawahirullah and big guns of the Congress took part in the meeting. Another INDIA bloc leader from Tamil Nadu said, “How can I respond to his (Vaiko’s) abstention? It is for him to explain why he abstained. I can only speak for our party.”

Both the INDIA bloc leaders said that the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) being conducted by the Election Commission of India in poll-bound Bihar, the Pahalgam terror strike, and Operation Sindoor in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s damning statement about India losing five fighter jets were high on the agenda of the meeting. It has also been learnt that the leaders from Tamil Nadu also raised issues like devolution of tax share to states, denial of rightful share of education funds to Tamil Nadu and denial of special railway projects to the State that featured in the resolution of the DMK MPs meeting held Friday.