Opposition parties join forces on delimitation issue, to vote against amendments in Parl

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI, April 15: Opposition parties across the country on Wednesday questioned the BJP-led NDA government over delimitation, expressing concern over the proposed exercise that has seen southern non-BJP CMs rally together, expressing concern over their state’s interests. The opposition has resolved to vote against the amendments in Parliament, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu announced a state-wide black flag demo on April 16 coinciding with a special session of Parliament that is likely to discuss amendments to the Women’s Reservation Act and delimitation.
Opposition leaders raised concerns over the lack of consensus and timing of the session.
Kharge said in Delhi that several opposition parties have decided to unitedly vote against the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, while asserting that they are not against womens’ reservation. They were opposed to the manner in which the bill is being brought. “All of us are in favour of the women reservation bill, but have reservations on the way in which it is being brought. It is politically motivated. Just to gag and suppress opposition parties, the government is doing this….” “We are continuously supporting women’s reservation. We are insisting that an earlier amendment that was passed be implemented. They (the BJP-led government) are playing tricks with delimitation. Therefore, all parties have taken a decision unitedly to oppose this bill,” Kharge said after the meeting.
DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, who has been opposing delimitation tooth and nail saying it will harm the southern states’ interests, stepped up the attack against the Centre and announced a state-wide black flag agitation on April 16 and warned the Centre of consequences and a “heavy price” if it did not heed to Tamil Nadu’s voice.
Stalin, after chairing an emergency meeting of party MPs and DMK district secretaries through video conference on the issue said, “the sword that hung over our heads has now descended upon us.” The DMK is reaching out to MPs across states and devising a coordinated strategy to counter this “grave danger”, he said.
In a statement, Stalin alleged the delimitation amendment the Union BJP government planned to bring in the Parliament on Thursday was a “massive, historic injustice” against Tamil Nadu and the southern states. He asked if the delimitation exercise which would allegedly be against southern states, was a “punishment for contributing to India’s progress.” “Is this how Tamil Nadu and the southern states are repaid,” he asked.
As part of his efforts to mobilise support against delimitation, Stalin had last year convened a meeting of non-BJP ruled states here and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, his counterparts from Telangana and Punjab, Bhagwant Mann and A Revanth Reddy, respectively and Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar, among others had attended the deliberations.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that delimitation could undermine the federal structure and adversely affect states like Kerala.
The Bill proposed to be introduced in a special session of Parliament, based on the 2011 Census, would significantly affect the rights of states and the principle of equitable justice. He said it was also worrying that the Centre was proceeding on such a crucial issue without arriving at a consensus with the states The Trinamool Congress too attacked the Centre over delimitation, where the government intends to increase the existing Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850.
The government is executing a “devious plot” to usher in delimitation under the cover of women’s reservation, TMC leader Derek O’Brien charged, Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, he charged that the government is using women’s reservation as a pretext. “Delimitation is the devious agenda. Women, their excuse,” he said, adding the ruling dispensation has “never cared a fig about women.” “Mock the Constitution, mock Parliament and mock the women of this great nation,” he said.
Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot urged PM Modi to “seriously address” the concerns raised by southern states over delimitation, warning that the issue could become sensitive if not handled carefully.
Centre’s delimitation will ‘suppress’ voices of southern states, senior Congress leader and former union minister P Chidambaram said.
Labelling the timing of the parliamentary session as a “planned conspiracy”, he argued that it is aimed at preventing MPs from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, engaged in election campaigns, from attending it. Noting that Congress has requested the Centre to postpone the session, citing elections in these two states, he asked, “What is the danger if the Parliament session could be held after the elections.” In his response, TVK chief Vijay urged the Centre to withdraw the Constitution (131st amendment) bill since it will be a “biased action” in reducing the voices of the people of southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, in the Parliament.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut called delimitation contentious, saying it is being undertaken without a Census and could face fierce opposition from southern states.
Raut said there was no reason for his party to oppose the ‘Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam’, or Women’s Reservation Act, which the Centre plans to implement early.
The Sena (UBT) has never stood in the way of women’s electoral interests and will not, he said, adding that Maharashtra was the first state to grant reservations to women in local bodies.
“It is the delimitation (of Lok Sabha seats) which will create a serious situation in the country. The issue of delimitation is contentious and is being done without conducting the Census,” Raut said.
BJD chief Naveen Patnaik urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to convene a special session of the assembly “within 48 hours” to discuss ways to protect the state’s interest in the delimitation bill.
He, however, welcomed the Women’s Reservation Bill. (PTI)