Freeze delimitation through constitutional amendment: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to freeze the delimitation process through a constitutional amendment, drawing parallels with steps taken by former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

In a statement on the social media platform X, Stalin said that despite sustained protests from Tamil Nadu, the Union government had offered only a verbal assurance that the State’s representation would not be reduced.

“But their words say one thing and their actions reveal another. The Bill they have introduced is a calculated deception. We reject it outright,” he said.

Stalin alleged that the proposed legislation grants sweeping powers to the Delimitation Commission, enabling the Centre to alter State representation “at any time and in any manner” to suit political interests. He described the Bill as a “carefully crafted trap with dangerous intent”.

He also criticised the timing of the move, saying the Bill should not be rushed through Parliament and must instead be withdrawn in full.

“If the Union government attempts to bulldoze it through, ignoring our opposition, it will face consequences in Tamil Nadu,” he warned.

Referring to past precedents, Stalin said leaders like Indira Gandhi and Vajpayee had ensured stability by freezing delimitation through constitutional safeguards, and urged the present government to follow the same approach.

He also invoked Jawaharlal Nehru, stating that Nehru had honoured assurances on linguistic and State rights, while alleging that the current regime was undermining federal principles.

Reiterating his demand, Stalin said the Centre must respect the voice of Tamil Nadu and restore safeguards to ensure that the State’s representation is not adversely affected.