Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin seemingly took a tongue-in-cheek shot at the Centre's delimitation plans, urging newlywed couples in the state to immediately begin planning their families to gain a possible benefit when the process is implemented.
The NDTV reported that Stalin made these comments during the wedding ceremony of a DMK district secretary in Nagapattinam.
In the past, I would advise couples who had just got married to wait a bit before having children. But no longer," he was quoted as saying.
"With the Union government's planned delimitation exercise, we no longer have that luxury. We focused on family planning and succeeded, but now we are in this position. So, I now encourage newlyweds to have children immediately and name them good Tamil names," Stalin added.
The incumbent Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has been critical of the Centre's delimitation proposals, which seek to realign the parliamentary and assembly constituency boundaries in light of demographic changes.
Stalin has expressed fears that states such as Tamil Nadu, which have been able to implement population control successfully, could end up being at a disadvantage once the delimitation exercise is carried out after 2026. He is concerned that this might result in the southern states losing parliamentary representation despite their economic contributions and success in population control.
In response to Stalin's comments, BJP spokesperson CR Keshavan vigorously condemned the chief minister, labeling his remarks a "desperate and dishonest diversionary tactic."
Keshavan also questioned the DMK position, asking if the party had the guts to take on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his opinions on population-based rights, which he said ran counter to Stalin's stand.
"The DMK, which is engaging in diversionary tactics, should first ask Rahul Gandhi to clarify his stand on ‘Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq,’" NDTV quoted Keshavan as saying, referring to Rahul Gandhi’s call for rights in proportion to population size. Keshavan further accused the DMK of trying to shift focus away from allegations of misgovernance and administrative failures.
At the same time, Stalin also faulted the Centre for imposing the National Education Policy (NEP), which he claims imposes Hindi on non-Hindi-speaking states. He also appealed to the Tamil Nadu BJP not to boycott a forthcoming all-party meeting on the delimitation issue.
"They are trying to do delimitation in such a manner that would cut Tamil Nadu's Lok Sabha representation.". I have called for an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss our collective stance on this matter. Forty parties registered with the Election Commission have been invited, and most have agreed to participate, while a few have chosen to skip it. But this is not just the DMK’s concern—it affects the entire state. I request all to unite in the name of Tamil Nadu and its rights," Stalin said.
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