Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday chaired an emergency meeting of MPs from his Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party, as he continued to oppose the demarcation amendment bill proposed by the government. He reportedly issued calls for black flag protests across the state and said the proposed amendment represented a “tremendous historical injustice” against the South.
The Prime Minister warned of the “consequences” of concerns over demarcation and said he was doing so as a “self-respecting Tamil” and DMK president.
Stalin also said that to confront the “grave danger”, he was communicating with representatives from several states. Raising the level of protests against demarcation, Stalin said homes and public places across Tamil Nadu would raise black flags.
“Is Tamil Nadu and the southern states being punished for the crime of seeking growth in India? The Demarcation Amendment Bill that the Union BJP government plans to introduce in Parliament tomorrow is a massive historical injustice done to Tamil Nadu and the southern states,” he said in a post on X.
Why is the South interested in demarcating the border?
The government’s proposed bills on 33% quota for women in Lok Sabha, delimitation and proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats to as many as 850 seats from the current 543 have raised fears that southern states will lose power in Lok Sabha.
Tamil Nadu is not alone in opposing these moves. On Tuesday, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy wrote to the panchayats 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 proportionate basis.
In response, Stalin assured him that the South was united against demarcation and “securing a just and equitable future.”
Stalin had earlier alleged that the government had ulterior motives behind introducing the bill on reservation for women. He said the bill showed a “conspiracy” to increase the gap between Tamil Nadu and the northern states.
Ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, scheduled for April 23, Stalin chaired an emergency meeting of DMK MPs and party district secretaries later to discuss the repercussions the state would face due to the delimitation exercise.
(With PTI and ANI inputs)
