Stalin Critiques Centre on Delimitation, Warns of Threats to Southern States
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Chennai, April 8 (NationPress) The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and president of the DMK, M. K. Stalin, has sharply criticized the BJP-led Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the proposed special session of Parliament focused on delimitation. He expressed strong concerns about the potential consequences this could have for the rights of southern states.
In a forceful social media announcement, Stalin warned against any attempts that might diminish the political representation of southern regions while enhancing the power of northern states.
"Do not turn a calm south into a storm,” he urged, imploring the Prime Minister to address what he termed as "fair and pressing concerns" from the populace in the region.
Stalin raised critical questions about the opacity of the delimitation process, wondering why the Union government is “shrouding the entire exercise in secrecy” instead of clearly communicating its objectives.
He reminded that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had postponed the delimitation process in 2001 for 25 years to maintain national equilibrium, questioning if the current administration would contemplate a similar strategy.
Further expressing his apprehensions, the Chief Minister highlighted the timing of the proposed special session, which coincides with Assembly elections in five states. He queried the urgency of this initiative and why the requests from opposition leaders to delay the session until after April 29 are being overlooked.
"What is the government trying to conceal?" he inquired.
Stalin accused the Centre of attempting to implement significant constitutional reforms without proper dialogue.
"Advancing substantial amendments without even calling an all-party meeting amounts to dictatorship," he asserted, indicating that neither the opposition nor the media has received satisfactory explanations.
Stressing the importance of the situation, Stalin declared that decisions impacting the future of southern states must only be made after thorough consultation. "Any action taken without our agreement will be rejected, regardless of the circumstances," he emphasized, reiterating his call for "fair delimitation".
The DMK leader also posted an image from a meeting held in March 2025, attended by several opposition leaders including Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, to address concerns regarding the delimitation process.