Centre muzzling opposition voices: Punjab CM Mann at delimitation meet

Southern states being punished for zealously implementing population control programmes: Bhagwant Mann, Punjab CM

Chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday announced that the state will vehemently oppose the unfair, faulty and undemocratic delimitation being done by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union government to muzzle the voice of the opposition parties.

Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, Telangana CM Revanth Reddy, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, DMK leader TR Baalu, BRS leader KT Rama Rao and others during the first Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting of states over the proposed delimitation of Parliamentary seats by the Centre, in Chennai, Saturday. (PTI)

Speaking at the joint action committee (JAC) comprising the chief ministers of four states and political parties from three others on Saturday, Mann said: “This shameful act of BJP to reduce the seats in the states where they can’t win is undemocratic. We won’t allow the saffron party to succeed in its nefarious designs to weaken democracy.”

The meeting, organised by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin, urged the Centre to extend the freeze on the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies by another 25 years, upping the ante on a contentious exercise that can widen the chasm between India’s northern and southern regions.

Mann said that this arbitrary move of the Union government was just aimed at eliminating the opposition parties.

“Contrary to this BJP is trying its level best to enhance the seats in Hindi belt where it gets most of the seats. It is ironic that in the name of population density, the seats are being reduced in South India,” he said, adding, “The southern states are being punished for zealously implementing population control programmes.”

“It will not be a surprise if the BJP enhances the tally of seats in Uttar Pradesh from 80 to more than 140 after the delimitation. The idea is to bifurcate or even trifurcate the seats which are the stronghold of the saffron party and to carve out more winning seats from it. This is intolerable, unwarranted and undesirable and will be opposed tooth and nail,” Mann added.

The CM said with 13 Lok Sabha seats, Punjab’s strength is 2.39% in the present Lok Sabha, and after delimitation, even though the seats will go up to 18, the state’s share will come down to 2.11%.

Mann assured full support and cooperation to all the like-minded parties in opposing the delimitation exercise. He invited all the parties to hold the next conference in Punjab.