Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday chaired an emergency meeting of MPs from his party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) as he continued to push back against the delimitation amendment Bill proposed by the government. He reportedly issued calls for black flag protests across the state and said that the proposed amendment was a "massive historic injustice" against the South.
The chief minister warned of “consequences” over delimitation concerns and said that he was doing so as “a self-respecting Tamil” and the head of the DMK.
Stalin also said that to counter the “grave danger”, he was reaching out to MPs from several states. Raising the pitch for protests against delimitation, Stalin said that homes and public spaces across Tamil Nadu will hoist black flags.
"Is punishment being meted out to Tamil Nadu and the southern states for the crime of striving for India's growth? The delimitation amendment bill that the Union BJP government plans to introduce in Parliament tomorrow is a massive historic injustice inflicted upon Tamil Nadu and the southern states," he said in a post on X.
Why South is concerned over delimitation
The government's proposed bills on 33% women's quota in Lok Sabha, delimitation and the proposal to have Lok Sabha seats increased to up to 850 from the current 543 has sparked concerns that southern states will lose their strength in the Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}The government's proposed bills on 33% women's quota in Lok Sabha, delimitation and the proposal to have Lok Sabha seats increased to up to 850 from the current 543 has sparked concerns that southern states will lose their strength in the Lok Sabha.
{{/usCountry}}Tamil Nadu is not alone in opposing the moves. On Tuesday, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy wrotes to CMs of southern states and the UT of Puducherry proposing a "hybrid model" under which 50 per cent of the proposed additional seats would be allocated on a pro rata basis.
In response, Stalin assured him that the South was united against delimitation and to “secure a just and equitable future”.
Stalin had earlier alleged that the government had ulterior motives behind introducing the draft bill on women's reservation. He said that the bill showed that a “conspiracy” was at play to increase the gap between Tamil Nadu and the northern states.
Ahead of Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, scheduled for April 23, Stalin chaired an emergency meeting of DMK MPs and later party district secretaries to discuss the repercussions the state would face due to the delimitation exercise.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)