Attend grama sabha meet, Kamal to cadre

In a statement, he said that the grama sabha meeting which was supposed to be held on May 1 was postponed due to the Lok Sabha polls would be held on June 28.

He said that his party took steps to implement the grama sabha meeting which remained dysfunctional. The grama sabha came to force 25 years ago empowering the rural people. “I call upon Makkal Needhi Maiam cadre to work earnestly to ensure the successful conduct of the grama sabha meeting on June 28. Hence, all our party workers and supporters should take part in the meeting to make it a grand success,” he said, directing the party office-bearers to work towards it.

After launching his party in February last year, Kamal took part in the grama sabha meeting held at Adigathur village in Tiruvallur district on May 1 last year. He also announced that his party would adopt Adigathur village as part of its party plan to develop one village in every district as a model village.

However, DMK president MK Stalin launched a campaign called grama sabha last year to meet the people to campaign against the ruling AIADMK government. With the DMK taking the wind out of the MNM’s attempt to reach out to the rural people, Kamal accused the DMK of copying their idea of holding gram sabha meetings across Tamil Nadu. “Are they (DMK) not ashamed to copy our acts?” he earlier asked.

However, the DMK hit out on its mouthpiece with an article castigating the actor for blabbering over several issues, disappointed as he was over the absence of good response to his activities in the political arena. But, the DMK has been participating in the meetings for several years and former chief minister, late M Karunanidhi, too, attended a grama sabha meeting at Vinnamangalam in Vaniyambadi Assembly segment, the article said.