Delimitation row: Kanimozhi warns of strong protests in Tamil Nadu

DMK MP Kanimozhi warns of strong protests if Tamil Nadu's Parliament representation is reduced due to delimitation, criticising the Centre's plan and demanding immediate implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill without seat increases.

DMK MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Tuesday warned of strong protests if Tamil Nadu's representation in Parliament is reduced, alleging that the Centre's proposed measures on delimitation and seat allocation could adversely impact states that have effectively controlled population growth. DMK MP Kanimozhi made these remarks while campaigning in support of DMK candidate and Minister Geetha Jeevan in the Thoothukudi Assembly constituency, near Vattakovil Ebenezer Church.

Criticism of Special Parliament Session

During the campaign, she criticised the Union BJP government for suddenly announcing a special Parliament session during election time, after the regular session had concluded. Kanimozhi noted that the three-day session was expected to include the Women's Reservation Bill and constituency delimitation. She alleged that "opposition parties had repeatedly requested that such matters not be taken up during election time and suggested holding the session after elections." However, she accused the government of treating Parliament like a "notice board," introducing decisions without consulting or considering opposition views, calling it an example of arbitrary governance.

DMK's Stance on Women's Reservation

Regarding women's reservation, she said the "bill had already been passed earlier, with the condition that it would be implemented only after a census and constituency delimitation." She emphasised that the DMK had consistently demanded that reservations be implemented immediately based on the current number of seats. She further said that although the census has not yet been conducted, the Centre is now proposing to increase the total number of Parliamentary seats by 50%. Currently, there are 543 MPs, and one-third (181 seats) could be directly reserved for women, which is the DMK position. Instead, she criticised the plan to first increase the seats and then allocate one-third, saying a bill had now been introduced in this regard.

Warning on Delimitation and State Representation

She pointed out that the bill proposes forming a committee to decide the number of MPs for each state, warning that states like Tamil Nadu, which have effectively controlled population growth and ensured good governance, could be adversely affected. Kanimozhi also warned that if Tamil Nadu's representation in Parliament decreases, its voice and influence would weaken, allowing the Centre to pass laws without considering the state's interests.

Kanimozhi Hits Out at Political Rivals

Criticising Edappadi K. Palaniswami, she said he was not concerned about these issues. Responding to BJP leader Annamalai's remarks about women's reservation, she questioned "Why should there be hesitation in allocating 181 out of 543 seats to women immediately?" She reiterated that the DMK, from Kalaignar Karunanidhi to the present Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has consistently demanded immediate implementation of women's reservation within the existing framework.

She accused opponents of fearing a loss of political strength if the reservation is implemented now and alleged attempts to undermine Tamil Nadu. She concluded by asserting that if Tamil Nadu is denied justice, the state will continue to protest, and everyone present should be ready to unite and raise their voice against any injustice.

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