Stalin announces black-flag protest in TN on April 16 over delimitation proposal
The DMK chief has warned of a 'heavy price' and injustice to southern states as DMK mobilises pan-India support against the Centre's move
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday (April 15) announced that a black-flag agitation will be held on Thursday (April 16) across the state against the proposed idea of delimitation. He warned the Narendra Modi-led government about potential repercussions and a “heavy price” if it ignored the concerns of the state, which heads to elections in a week’s time.
Also read: Why delimitation Bills appear more ominous than originally thought
Stalin, who heads the state’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), said after chairing an emergency meeting of the party’s MPs and district secretaries through video-conference on the subject of delimitation, “the sword that hung over our heads has now descended upon us”.
The DMK is reaching out to MPs across states and devising a coordinated strategy to counter this “grave danger”, he said.
'Massive, historic injustice'
The CM said in a statement that the alleged delimitation amendment the Centre has planned to bring in Parliament on Thursday was a “massive, historic injustice” against Tamil Nadu and the southern states.
Asking if the delimitation exercise, which would allegedly be against the southern states, was a “punishment for contributing to India’s progress”. Stalin asked whether it was the way in which Tamil Nadu and the southern states are “repaid”.
According to the DMK president, every Indian, south of the Vindhyas, was seething with anger.
“The BJP is playing with fire. Across Tamil Nadu, black flags will rise from homes and public spaces tomorrow (April 16) in protest against delimitation,” he said.
Warning the Centre that the price will be “heavy”, the CM said he was not only speaking in the capacity as the president of the DMK but above all as a “self-respecting Tamil”.
Asserting that his party was reaching out to all states, the DMK chief said, “This is not about parties or individuals. It is about protecting the rights of our people. I appeal to all parties and MPs across India to unite to safeguard our democracy.”
Stalin meets DMK MPs, district secretaries
Earlier in the day, Stalin convened an emergency meeting of DMK MPs and later party district secretaries to discuss the repercussions the state is likely to face due to the Centre's proposed delimitation exercise.
The emergency meeting via video conference from Dharmapuri was amid his busy electioneering schedule, party sources said.
Also read: Stalin issues a ‘final warning from Tamil Nadu’ to Modi on delimitation
The meeting commenced by 11 am, and the party line to be followed in Parliament on delimitation was thrashed out, sources added.
On Tuesday (April 14), too, Stalin issued a stern warning about bringing Tamil Nadu to a standstill and “protests with full force”, if anything was done that went against the state’s interests or if the political clout of the northern states was raised disproportionately in the delimitation exercise.
Stalin also mentioned that the country might once again have to experience “the DMK of the 1950s and 1960s”, seemingly alluding to the party’s initial period during which it led numerous protests concerning state rights and against the purported enforcement of Hindi.
The DMK was founded in 1949 by Dravidian icon C N Annadurai, also a former chief minister of Tamil Nadu.
Addressing election rallies in northern Tamil Nadu, Stalin had alleged on Wednesday that the draft bill on women's reservation showed that it was a “conspiracy” that would increase the gap between Tamil Nadu and the northern states, when delimitation was implemented.
Also read: Kharge flags ‘grave consequences’ in government’s proposed delimitation exercise
As part of his efforts to mobilise support against delimitation, Stalin had last year convened a meeting of non-BJP ruled states here, and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his counterparts from Telangana and Punjab, Bhagwant Mann and A Revanth Reddy, respectively, and Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar, among others, had attended the deliberations.
Stalin writes to Telangana CM
On Tuesday, after Revanth Reddy wrote to him on delimitation, Stalin conveyed to him, “Our unity is to protect our state rights and secure a just and equitable future for our generations to come. The South will stand together, speak with one voice, and uphold the true spirit of federalism.”
Reddy communicated with the chief ministers of the southern states and the Union Territory of Puducherry, suggesting a "hybrid model" whereby 50 per cent of the proposed additional seats would be distributed on a pro rata basis, while the remaining seats would be allocated based on Gross State Domestic Product and other criteria.
(With agency inputs)