CM Vijay to attend Sonia Gandhi book launch in New Delhi on November 16

详细摘要

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is expected to attend Sonia Gandhi's memoir launch in New Delhi on November 16. The event could mark his second meeting with the Congress leader…

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay is expected to attend the formal launch of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, in New Delhi on November 16. It would be their second meeting since Vijay took office in May with Congress support.

The visit comes as Vijay’s government opposes a dam that the Congress government in Karnataka wants to build across the Cauvery. The dispute has put the Congress on opposite sides in the two states, with its Tamil Nadu unit backing Vijay’s stand against the project.

Karnataka says the proposed reservoir at Mekedatu would supply drinking water to Bengaluru and generate power. Tamil Nadu fears it would give Karnataka greater control over how much water is released downstream and when, affecting farmers who depend on the Cauvery.

The book Vijay is expected to help launch has already sparked a political row. The memoir, which went on sale on November 10, calls the Emergency a mistake and describes the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as a shameful chapter in India’s history.

The BJP accused Sonia Gandhi of trying to justify the Emergency and absolve former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of responsibility for the riots.

The memoir also contains several factual errors. It says Rajya Sabha members are nominated. Most are elected indirectly, and only 12 are nominated by the President. The book also places former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 1999 meeting with Nawaz Sharif in Islamabad. The meeting took place in Lahore.

Vijay’s ties with the Congress date back to the May Assembly election, when his Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won 108 seats in the 234-member House, 10 short of a majority.

The Congress broke with its longtime ally, the DMK, and backed Vijay with its five MLAs. Vijay secured backing from other parties to form the government.

Later that month, Congress MLAs Rajesh Kumar and P Vishwanathan joined Vijay’s Cabinet, bringing the party back into the Tamil Nadu government after 59 years.

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