As the row over delimitation in Southern states grows, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday attacked the Opposition for its contradictory approach, pointing out that Congress-governed states had gained from the previous delimitation exercise in 1973.
Referring to the Lok Sabha, the Godda MP from Jharkhand noted that the 1973 delimitation did not affect states like Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, while Congress-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan gained parliamentary seats.
"It was Congress that supported population as the key factor for delimitation," Dubey said, rebutting the arguments being put forward by the party and its allies now.
His remarks are made in the backdrop of increasing voices raised by Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK. Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently convened an all-party meeting in Chennai, insisting that the 1971 Census should continue to be the reference point for seat allocation. He threatened that the utilization of the latest population data would decrease Tamil Nadu's parliamentary representation, considering the demographic gap between northern and southern states.
Dubey also brought attention to the shifting demographics in his home state of Jharkhand, accusing past Congress governments of neglecting its interests. He noted that Jharkhand was excluded from the nationwide delimitation exercise in 2008, suggesting that this decision was politically motivated.
"If delimitation was done in Jharkhand in 2008, the Santhal Pargana area would have lost one Lok Sabha and three Assembly seats," Dubey asserted, citing reports from the Kuldeep Singh-headed Delimitation Commission report.
He also referred to a steep fall in the Santhal Pargana tribal population, which comprises six districts-Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj, and Pakur. Dubey said the population of the region's tribes dropped from 45% in 1951 to merely 28% in the 2011 Census, which he blamed on Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants.
"The Muslim population of the country has increased by about 4% since Independence, but in Santhal Pargana alone it has increased by over 15%," he said, attributing the demographic change to uncontrolled migration.
Dubey also accused Bangladeshi infiltrators of entering Jharkhand through West Bengal and Bihar and taking shelter in the state at the cost of the native tribal population.
Demanding corrective action, he asked for the next delimitation exercise to be conducted only after excluding and identifying all illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.
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