CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday warned of massive agitations bringing Tamil Nadu to a standstill and "protests with full force," if anything was done harming the state or if the political power of northern states was disproportionately increased in delimitation.
Reiterating his allegation that secrecy shrouds the proposed delimitation process, Stalin in a video message said that without consulting not just the DMK but any political party or any state, the BJP-led Centre was attempting to proceed unilaterally.
"We do not even know how this delimitation exercise is going to be carried out. No explanation has been provided so far regarding the proposed Constitutional amendment."
When such secrecy surrounds this process, it only strengthens the suspicion that a grave danger lies beneath. The people of the southern states are gripped with deep concern, he said.
Referring to the special session of Parliament on April 16, Stalin said it has being "forcibly convened" in the midst of elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
"In this session, the union government intends to bulldoze through a Constitutional amendment on delimitation," he alleged, apparently claiming that the Centre intends forcing its decision on southern states including Tamil Nadu.
This hurried attempt to push through delimitation is a blatant assault on democracy by the BJP government. More than that, it is a direct assault on the rights of states.
"At this moment, I wish to say something important to the Union BJP government and to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the forthcoming Parliamentary session, our Members of Parliament will participate," he said
However, "if anything is done that harms Tamil Nadu, or that disproportionately enhances the political power of northern states, we in Tamil Nadu will not remain silent."
The Dravidian party chief warned that Tamil Nadu will come to a standstill.
He said: "Tamil Nadu will register its protest with full force. Every family will take to the streets. Under my leadership as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, we will organise a massive agitation."
The DMK chief said it must not be assumed that, since this was an election period and "attention is elsewhere, you can quietly carry out delimitation in Delhi. Do not even entertain that thought."
Stalin said he was not speaking only as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, but as the leader of a great movement, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
Further, he said: "You will witness a Tamil Nadu that you have not seen before. India will once again witness the spirit of the DMK of the 1950s and 1960s. Do not mistake this for a threat. This is a warning. Even if you choose to interpret it as a threat, it does not concern us. Yes, this is a warning issued from Tamil Nadu."
The chief minister said elections and being in power are secondary to them. "We are a people of self-respect. For us, principles matter. The rights of states matter."
These were the living ideals bequeathed to them by party founder CN Annadurai and late party patriarch M Karunanidhi.
The CM said: "If you imagine that you can wrong Tamil Nadu and move on as usual, you are mistaken. On the birth anniversary of the Father of the Constitution, Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar, I say this with utmost solemnity. "
"If Tamil Nadu is affected, we will make the entire nation take notice. Prime Minister, I repeat, this is the final warning issued to you from Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu will fight; Tamil Nadu will win."
In the matter of delimitation from the very beginning, the DMK has created awareness among the people.
Last year, it brought together chief ministers of states that stand to be affected, as well as leaders of major political parties, and convened a Joint Action Committee meeting in Chennai, he recalled.
When the Union government urged Tamil Nadu to control population growth, the state complied.
"Is this now the punishment for having done what was asked of us...we demanded that the Prime Minister provide a clear assurance in Parliament that southern states would not be affected. There has been no response."
The DMK sought time for MPs from various parties to meet the Prime Minister and even that was denied.
"Thus, ignoring everything we have said, without consulting not just the DMK but any political party or any state, they are attempting to proceed unilaterally."
On April 13, Congress Parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, (writing in an English daily), raised the very same questions that DMK has been asking, he said.
"Yet, there is no answer, even for the principal opposition party, the Congress," he said.