DMK says Stalin was targeted, Cong downplays discord with ally

: The DMK on Tuesday said it skipped a meeting of opposition parties convened by Congress on CAA, NRC and NPR since its party chief M K Stalin was accused of violating coalition dharma over local body polls.

While DMK also said time would tell whether the ties have become normal again, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K S Alagiri sought to downplay the discord and asserted that both parties were "two joined hands" and the alliance would go on.

A day after avoiding participating in the meet for showcasing opposition unity, the DMK was non-committal on restoration of ties with its old ally, notwithstanding the regret reportedly expressed by Alagiri.

"We did not take part in the meeting since our chief was accused of violating coalition dharma," senior leader T R Baalu said in Chennai.

The party did not participate in the meeting at Delhi on Monday since it was felt that TNCC president Alagiri's recent statement was an "accusation against party chief M K Stalin," Baalu, also a Lok Sabha MP, said.

Speaking to reporters here, Baalu, a former Union Minister said he felt that Alagiri could have avoided issuing the statement.

Asked if the ties with Congress have now returned to its "old status," (since Alagiri has reportedly expressed regret and met party chief Sonia Gandhi in this regard) Baalu was non-committal.

He said: "Time will tell whether it has returned to the old (normality indicating bonhomie) status or not; why are you concerned?"
Asked if the bitterness that surfaced after he released a statement over local polls has dissipated, he said it was not against the DMK, adding "there is no bitterness."
"The coalition is going on good, I have told our party chief (Sonia Gandhi)."
On his party reportedly "demanding" over 100 seats for next year's Assembly polls and the DMK getting dejected over it, he said: "This is all imagination. Is it possible to predict what will happen next year in politics ?"
A day after making the statement, Alagiri had said that "a view had to be articulated and it was done by the party; our friendship continues as usual, there is no problem."