Chennai, April 8 Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President, M. K. Stalin, launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday over the proposed special session of Parliament on delimitation, raising concerns about its implications for southern states.
In a strongly worded social media post, the DMK President cautioned against any move that could undermine the political representation of the south while increasing the influence of northern states.
"Do not turn a calm south into a storm," he said, urging the Prime Minister to address what he described as "fair and pressing questions" raised by people in the region.
Stalin questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the delimitation process, asking why the Union government was "shrouding the entire exercise in secrecy" instead of clearly outlining its intentions.
He also recalled that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had deferred delimitation in 2001 for 25 years in the interest of national balance, and asked whether the current government would consider a similar approach.
Raising further concerns, the Chief Minister criticised the timing of the proposed special Parliament session, noting that it comes in the middle of Assembly elections in five States. He questioned the urgency behind the move and why demands from Opposition leaders to defer the session until after April 29 were being ignored.
"What is the government trying to hide?" he asked.
Stalin also accused the Centre of attempting to push through major Constitutional changes without adequate consultation.
"Forcing through far-reaching amendments without even convening an all-party meeting is nothing short of dictatorship," he said, adding that neither the Opposition nor the media had received clear answers.
Emphasising the stakes involved, Stalin said any decision affecting the future of southern states must be taken only after proper consultation. "Any move without our consent will not be accepted, come what may," he asserted, reiterating his demand for "fair delimitation".
The DMK leader also shared an image from a March 2025 meeting convened by him, which was attended by several Opposition leaders, including his counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan (Kerala), Revanth Reddy (Telangana), Bhagwant Mann (Punjab), and Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, to discuss concerns over the delimitation exercise.