Centre confirms: No proposal to bifurcate Tamil Nadu
"The government moves on the matter of formation of new states after taking into consideration all relevant factors. Presently no such proposal is under consideration," the MoS Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply.
FollowThe Narendra Modi government on Tuesday clarified that there was no proposal under consideration to bifurcate Tamil Nadu.
Responding to a query posed by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MPs Dr TR Paarivendhar and Ramalingam S, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai noted that "demands and representatives are received from various individuals and organisations from time to time for the creation of new states. Creation of a new state has wide ramification and direct bearing on the federal polity of our country."
"The government moves on the matter of formation of new states after taking into consideration all relevant factors. Presently no such proposal is under consideration," the MoS Home said in a written reply.
Speculation on a possible bifurcation of Tamil Nadu had been triggered by a vernacular daily in June which claimed that the Narendra Modi-led government was planning a bifurcation as a befitting response to the DMK government referring to them as the 'Ondriya Arasu' (Union Government) and not 'Madiya Arasu' (Central government) in Tamil.
Then the Bharatiya Janata party fanned this speculation further when it released profiles of newly-appointed Union ministers in July, where it had referred to the party's outgoing Tamil Nadu chief L Murugan as hailing from Kongu Nadu.
Western Tamil Nadu, which comprises districts of Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Salem, Tirupur, Erode, Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri, is colloquially referred to as Kongu Mandalam or Kongu region. The region finds mention in ancient Tamil literature and poems from the Sangam era.
The reference arises from the Kongu Vellala Gounder community, which are dominant in this region.
The region is considered the bastion of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. AIADMK's ally, the BJP, also has considerable support in the region. Former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami hails from Salem.
