00:00We're breaking news that's coming in as the countdown begins to the India Bloc meet that's expected to take place
00:05tomorrow.
00:06Confirmation here on India today that the DMK will not be attending the India Bloc meet in the national capital.
00:12There's been a lot of suspense considering the DMK Congress divorce in Tamil Nadu or whether the DMK will continue
00:18to be a part of the India Bloc
00:19because they do still have a friendship, a relationship with other regional parties that are part of the India Bloc.
00:25But that's not the case. We can confirm for you that the DMK is not attending the India Bloc meet
00:32that's planned for tomorrow.
00:33The agenda may be the same of the DMK, but clearly they are hurt by the Congress ditching them and
00:38going with the TVK
00:39and they're showing it by not attending the India Bloc meeting.
00:43Rahul Gautam joins us live from Delhi, tracks the Congress for us.
00:46Pramod Madhav with this news break, joining us from Chennai.
00:49Rahul, I'm bringing you in first to understand whether an invite was even extended by the Congress to the DMK
00:55because constantly in the last few months, we've heard statements from Congress leaders suggesting
01:00that all is well, that the DMK is still part of the national India Bloc picture.
01:04That's clearly not the case.
01:07Well, Akshita, this time the entire exercise of bringing all parties together was, you know,
01:13initiated by Mamata Banerji and not Congress party.
01:16And therefore, what sources have informed us that an official invite was extended to DMK as well
01:22and not just to DMK, but to other like-minded parties as well, for example, to Aam Adni party.
01:27But given the fact that we all know that how the relationship between DMK and Congress has gone sour
01:35after Congress party decided to go with TVK and we all know that how DMK has officially broke rank
01:42with the India Alliance when they, you know, insisted that their seating arrangement should be provided separately to them.
01:49And in fact, I must also tell this to our viewers that we asked this question, especially to KC Benupal,
01:55that are you making any outreach to DMK or to other like-minded parties to bring them together,
02:00to which he said that all this we're going to discuss tomorrow in the India Bloc meeting.
02:06So, as we speak, obviously, DMK will not be coming.
02:09In fact, some people in Congress tell us that DMK has made it very clear that they'll not be sharing
02:15any space
02:16or any dives with Congress going forward.
02:18So, it seems that as far as DMK is concerned, the situation is absolutely clear that from going forward,
02:25they'll not be seen anywhere around with Congress party at least after what happened in Tamil Nadu.
02:33Now, here's what's interesting.
02:34The DMK has issued multiple statements on the EEC in the last one week,
02:38including former Chief Minister Stalin himself, who's condemned the CEC.
02:42The demand is the same.
02:43They're saying the CEC must resign and that they've constantly maintained the same stand.
02:47That's what the DMK says.
02:48And yet, a meet in which the same agenda, same narrative is being spoken of,
02:52the DMK has chosen not to be there.
02:54Pramod, explain to us why the DMK has decided not to be a part of this meeting.
02:58Because from what Rahul tells us, the invite didn't go from the Congress.
03:01It went from Mamata Banerjee, from the TMC.
03:04And the DMK has no bad blood with her.
03:07Well, one thing is very certain, Achita, that there are like multiple folds to this particular kind of development currently.
03:11And the one thing, it started back in May after the election results.
03:13And now, Congress, we can clearly say, you know, Congress, in the way DMK believes,
03:18ditched DMK and joined TVK with the five MLAs,
03:21which they actually won when they were with the alliance that was led by DMK.
03:24So, definitely still calling them as backstabbers at this point.
03:27So, what is happening is that, like, on one side, DMK says that they are not at all interested to
03:31be in this indie bloc
03:32as long as Congress is going to play a major role in it.
03:35And the second part is also, Achita, we had an earlier news break where
03:38Pani Muri, apparently, we've been told our social state,
03:41that a kind of, like, attempt is being made for a probable third front.
03:44So, DMK is also working on this particular matter.
03:46Just like you mentioned, DMK is steadfastly opposing SIR.
03:50MK Stalin very clearly said that the SIR was a kind of, it should not be done in that manner.
03:53DMK Stalin, the president, warns the resignation of the chief election commissioner and such.
03:57But now it looks like DMK has decided that it is time for it to go ahead the national way.
04:03So, it looks like they, you know, the party itself has decided to go ahead and create a new form
04:07of a front or so.
04:08So, all these are in developing stage.
04:10But right now, they have made it very clear.
04:11They still call Congress as backstabbers.
04:13And that's the reason they have decided not to take part in this particular meeting, the program, Achita.
04:21So, just the bad blood with Congress, just the fact that Congress is part of that meeting,
04:25is enough for the DMK to say we will have nothing to do with this.
04:28The invite may be from another leader.
04:30They may be planning their own third front in which regional players, regional blocks matter.
04:34But despite that, the DMK says where the Congress is, we will not be.
04:38Thanks very much, Pramoda and Rahul Gautam, for getting us those details.
