Some DMK MPs believe that the agenda of this meeting is about the environment clearance for a distillery owned by T R Baalu's sons. Jairam Ramesh has not approved this project as the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Communist Party of India-Marxist are protesting the land for the distillery has been reclaimed from a river bund and the distillery could cause a water scarcity. Some DMK top brass are opposed to this factory being set up in Thanjavur.
DMK Minister A Raja hosted a tea party for Jairam Ramesh environment minister last week, where many DMK leaders were present. This was a move to convince Jairam Ramesh to issue permission for the distillery unit. Tremendous pressure has
been mounted on Jairam, but he has not relented. When asked, Ramesh refused to comment on this issue as a technical committee has been asked to submit report after visiting the site
The DMK intends to pressurise Jairam Ramesh to get this project cleared, but there are legal tangle as a Chennai Court had also ruled adversely about this distillery.
Of late,the DMK has not been comfortable with the Congress. Senior DMK leaders suspect that the Congress is playing double game as the Tamil Nadu assembly elections near. Serious differences have cropped up between the DMK and
the Congress. The constant sniping by some Congress leaders has not gone down well with the DMK.
In Parliament the bonhomie between the DMK and Tamil Nadu congress leaders has faded away. It is believed that Karunanidhi had called for Tuesday conclave in Chennai, to sort out such issues.
