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Journalism of Courage
A day after DMK leader and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin described the proposed delimitation exercise as “a sword hanging over the head of South India”, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Wednesday that the southern states, including Tamil Nadu, will not lose a single Parliamentary seat on account of delimitation.
Addressing BJP workers at the inauguration of party offices in Coimbatore, Tiruvannamalai and Ramanathapuram, Shah said, “Today a meeting will be held to ensure the South does not suffer on account of delimitation. The public in Tamil Nadu is disturbed. This is why the Tamil Nadu CM (Stalin) and his son (Udhayanidhi) are trying to distract the public. Mr Stalin, the Modi government has made it clear in Lok Sabha that after delimitation, on pro rata basis, not a single seat will be reduced in any southern state. And I want to reassure the public of South India that Modi ji has kept your interest in mind to make sure that not even one seat is reduced pro rata. And whatever increase is there, southern states will get a fair share, there is no reason to doubt this.”
A day earlier, Stalin had warned that Tamil Nadu could lose up to eight of its 39 Lok Sabha constituencies due to the delimitation exercise, potentially reducing its seats to 31. He had described the process as a “sword hanging over the head of South India,” raising fears of diminished representation and rights for Tamil Nadu.
Shah struck back, accusing Stalin of “lying to the Tamil people” and escalating issues to “divert attention” from his government’s alleged failures.
“You (Stalin) are lying to Tamil people and misleading them with false claims about delimitation,” Shah said. “I demand your reply, why are you making these false claims?”
Beyond delimitation, Shah broadened his attack to encompass the ruling DMK government’s track record on corruption, governance, and law and order. “DMK is one party with a master’s degree in corruption,” he said, accusing its leaders – without taking names – of money laundering, sand mining and involvement in scams including the 2G scandal.
Shah also painted a dire picture of Tamil Nadu’s current state. “Tamil Nadu’s law and order standards are becoming low compared to other states,” he said.
The proposed delimitation after 50 years has the southern states worried that an exercise based on population will disregard their progress in population control, reduce their representation in Parliament and give the northern states an undue advantage.
He positioned the 2026 Assembly elections as a turning point for the state, urging BJP workers to establish the NDA government in Tamil Nadu. “Time has come, DMK’s anti-people, anti-national government should be sent out of power,” he said.
“This NDA government we will establish here should be a new beginning. All separatist, divisive ideologies should be eliminated. All anti-national forces should be destroyed here,” he said.
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