Chennai, Sep 28 (IANS): At a time when there is criticism from the opposition that the INDIA bloc was "falling apart" in Tamil Nadu, the DMK on Saturday is organising a public meeting in Kancheeepuram to exhibit the alliance's strength and also mark the diamond jubilee of the party.

Kancheepuram, the temple city of Tamil Nadu, is the birthplace of DMK founder leader and first Dravidian Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Late C.N. Annadurai.

The public meeting would be held at the Panchaiyappa's College for Men in Kancheepuram, where 20 leaders of various DMK alliance parties would deliver their address.

The party issued a statement from its headquarters ‘Anna Arivalayam’, saying that INDIA bloc leaders of Tamil Nadu had consented to participate in the meeting. These include Dravida Kazhagam president and veteran leader, K. Veeramani, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai, MNM president and superstar Kamal Haasan, VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, MDMK founder Vaiko, CPI(M) state secretary K. Balakrishnan, CPI state secretary R. Mutharasan, M.H. Jawahurullah (MMK), K.M. Kader Moideen (IUML), Vaiko (MDMK), E.R. Easwaran (Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi) and T. Velmurugan (TVK) among others.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin directed party cadres to participate in the public programme in large numbers and to give a clear message of INDIA bloc unity in Tamil Nadu. The Chief Minister, who is also the president of the DMK, told the cadres that the celebrations in Kancheepuram were to bring together the coalition partners of the DMK.

It may be recalled that the DMK has held its own public function as part of its Diamond Jubilee celebrations in Chennai. Saturday's public display is to present the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu as a homogeneous group.

There have been some issues in the coalition after VCK leader Adhav Arjun called for inducting his party into the DMK government of Tamil Nadu. The VCK founder leader and Lok Sabha MP from Chidambaram constituency, Thol Thirumavalavan had to issue a clarification on the party’s position which stated that the VCK does not have such an opinion and that the party’s relationship with the DMK was strong and everlasting.

Mukundadas M.P, a political commentator based out of Chennai while speaking to IANS said, "CM Stalin wants to project to the world that his alliance is intact and perfect in Tamil Nadu even though there are certain issues brewing within the coalition. The Kancheepuram meeting to be held today is a clear message by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister that DMK calls the shots in the INDIA bloc alliance of the state and that there was no room for any dissidence within the coalition.”