Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president on Tuesday warned the BJP-led Union Government of massive protests across the State against the proposed delimitation exercise, for which a special session of Parliament has been convened on April 16.
Issuing a strong warning, Stalin said DMK MPs would participate in the upcoming Parliamentary session, but any move that harmed Tamil Nadu or disproportionately enhanced the political power of northern States would be met with strong resistance.
“Tamil Nadu will come to a standstill. Every family will take to the streets,” he said, adding that a massive agitation would be organised under his leadership.
He cautioned the Union government against assuming that delimitation could be carried out quietly during the election period. Speaking as both Chief Minister and leader of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, he said the State would demonstrate a spirit reminiscent of the DMK’s movements of the 1950s and 1960s.
In a video message, Stalin said he wished to convey two purposes — to highlight what he described as a “grave danger” that has reached Tamil Nadu’s doorstep and to issue a clear warning to the Union government. He alleged that the special session was being “forcibly convened” amid election campaigning in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal to push through a Constitutional amendment on delimitation.
Stating that the DMK had consistently cautioned against such a move, he said awareness had been created not only in Tamil Nadu but across India. He pointed out that Chief Ministers of affected States and leaders of major political parties had been earlier brought together for a Joint Action Committee meeting in Chennai.
Referring to population control measures, Stalin said southern States had complied with the Union government’s call for family planning, and questioned whether they were now being “punished” for it. He said the State had sought an assurance from Prime Minister in Parliament that southern States would not be affected, but had received no response. Requests for a meeting with Members of Parliament from various parties were also denied, he added.
He further alleged that the Union government was proceeding unilaterally without consulting political parties or State governments. He noted that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi had raised similar concerns, but there had been no response from the Centre.
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Describing the move as a “blatant assault on democracy” and the rights of States, Stalin said no details had been provided about how the delimitation exercise would be carried out or about the proposed Constitutional amendment. The lack of clarity, he said, had deepened apprehensions among people in southern States.
Calling his remarks a “warning,” Mr. Stalin said electoral considerations were secondary to principles such as self-respect and State rights, which he described as ideals inherited from leaders like Annadurai and Karunanidhi.
Invoking on his birth anniversary, Stalin said that if Tamil Nadu was affected, the State would ensure the entire nation took notice. “Tamil Nadu will fight; Tamil Nadu will win,” he asserted.
