Chennai: On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin sought from him a guarantee on fair delimitation for South India.
“Standing on Tamil soil, the Prime Minister must give a clear guarantee: ‘Tamil Nadu and other states that have successfully controlled population growth will not be penalised in the impending delimitation exercise. Their share of parliamentary seats in percentage terms will remain untouched,” Stalin said in the Nilgiris where he was on an official visit.
He called on Modi to make this promise publicly, allay the fears in the minds of the people of Tamil Nadu, and follow it up with a constitutional amendment in Parliament. This is the only way to ensure a fair delimitation, he said adding, “I sincerely hope he will act”.
Stalin said the Prime Minister must allay the legitimate fears of the people of Tamil Nadu and other southern States that the delimitation would not lead to fewer parliamentary seats for them. “This is not just a concern about reduced parliamentary seats but also a concern about our rights and future well being,” he said.
Alleging that the Union Government was conspiring to reduce the number of parliamentary seats to Tamil Nadu, he pointed out that the State was the first to raise its voice “against the grand conspiracy being planned in the name of delimitation.”
Stalin, who had earlier got political parties from seven states including some Chief Ministers to form the Joint Action Committee on Fair Delimitation, said they had written to the Prime Minister seeking an audience to discuss the issue. He hoped Modi would schedule the meeting soon.