BJP was ‘conspiring’ against the southern states, alleges TN CM Stalin
CHENNAI/BENGALURU/HYDERABAD, March 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday extended support to the DMK-led opposition against the proposed delimitation of Parliamentary constituencies and requested his Deputy, DK Shivakumar, to attend the meeting in Chennai to discuss the issue.
In a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Siddaramaiah stated that he would be unable to attend the meeting due to prior commitments.
“I have received your letter dated March 7, which raises crucial issues regarding the autonomy of states, with serious implications for the principles governing our polity.In particular, the issue of delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly constituencies based on new population benchmarks needs to be discussed at length by like-minded states.Although I would like to participate in the meeting, due to my prior commitments, I am unable to do so,” he wrote in the letter dated March 13.
However, acknowledging the importance of the meeting scheduled for March 22, the Chief Minister stated, “I have requested Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to participate in the deliberations.”
On Wednesday, Tamil Nadu Forest Minister K Ponmudy and Rajya Sabha MP Mohammed Abdullah Ismail met Siddaramaiah at his residence, Cauvery, to discuss the ongoing protests against the “anti-democratic and anti-Southern stance of the central government.”
During the meeting with the DMK delegation, the Chief Minister condemned the Centre’s alleged attempt to “weaken democracy and federalism.”
The DMK has been reaching out to leaders of various parties, including those within the NDA, such as Chandrababu Naidu, to discuss the delimitation issue.
TELANGANA CM EXTENDS SUPPORT
Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday extended support to the DMK over its opposition to the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies and said he would attend the Chennai meeting on the issue after taking permission from the Congress high command.
Reddy made these remarks after a DMK delegation led by Tamil Nadu minister TK Nehru met him in Delhi and invited him to the meeting.
“I welcome Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin’s stand.I have to get permission from the (Congress) high command to attend the meeting. In-principle, I have agreed to attend,” Reddy told reporters.
Earlier this month, Stalin had written to chief ministers of seven states, including Reddy, to form a joint action committee against the delimitation exercise.
Reddy further said the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre was “conspiring” against the southern states in the name of delimitation.
“Delimitation is going to be a limitation for the south. We are not going to accept delimitation at any cost,” he said.
Reddy emphasised that the southern states paid more taxes than their northern counterparts and were “contributing everything for the nation”.The BJP is following vendetta politics. Since the BJP has no presence in south India, it wants to settle a score against south India through delimitation, he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier assured the southern states that they wouldn’t lose “even a single seat” after the delimitation of constituencies.
Stalin has called a meeting to discuss the proposed delimitation of parliamentary constituencies on March 22.
BRS TO ATTEND DMK MEETING
The opposition BRS in Telangana will attend the meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on March 22 to discuss the delimitation issue, BRS leader K T Rama Rao said on Thursday.
He made the statement while speaking to reporters after a DMK delegation, including Tamil Nadu Minister K N Nehru and Rajya Sabha member N R Elango, met him to formally invite BRS to the Chennai meeting.
BRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao has directed the party to participate in the conclave and express its views, said Rama Rao, who is also the Working President of BRS.“We will be participating in the meeting on March 22 in Chennai, which will be held under the leadership of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin,” he said.
BRS also believes that South India, which has performed exceptionally well in family planning, should not be penalised for implementing the central government’s recommendations in the 1970s and 1980s, said Rama Rao.
BRS will soon decide who will represent the party at the Chennai gathering, he added.
Elango confirmed that the BRS leadership has agreed to attend the meeting and said the next course of action will be discussed in Chennai, where leaders from various parties will convene. (PTI)