AIADMK, MDMK to boycott all-party meet on sand quarrying

Chennai, May 23 (UNI) The main Opposition AIADMK and its ally the MDMK today decided to boycott the May 26 all-party meeting convened by the DMK Government to take a policy decision on the sand quarrying issue.

The meeting of leaders of legislative parties was called after the government's decision to private sand quarrying in the State drew flak from various quarters, even from DMK's allies the PMK and the CPI(M).

In a statement here, AIADMK Supremo J Jayalalithaa said having betrayed the interests of the State on the Cauvery dispute and Hogenakkal Drinking Water Project, Mr Karunanidhi had lost the moral right to convene such a meeting.

Referring to the Hogenakkal issue, she alleged Mr Karunanidhi, who had passed a resolution in the State Assembly seeking Centre's intervention on the project, had insulted the leaders of legislature parties by unilaterally announcing the project was put on hold without even convening a Cabinet meeting.

''The all-party meeting convened on May 26 will be an eye-wash and a drama staged by the government to manage the situation following widespread opposition to its decision to privatise the sand quarrying business,'' she charged and announced the AIADMK would boycott the meeting.

MDMK General Secretary Vaiko also announced that his party would boycott the meeting and alleged Mr Karunanidhi did not have any right to convene the meeting.

Questioning the rationale behind the government's decision to revert to the old practice of allowing private parties in sand quarrying, he said it would only pave the way for indiscriminate quarrying.

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