DINDIGUL/THENI: Referring to the defeat of the delimitation Bill in Parliament, Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin on Friday said the NDA has been defeated even before the Assembly elections had taken place.
Speaking in a campaign meeting at Dindigul, Stalin said “Even before elections, the NDA has faced defeat. This isn’t a new one, but still a historic victory. Tamil Nadu has defeated the egoistic BJP. NDA members questioned the black attire and raising of black flags by opposition parties. But this isn’t enough. The real defeat should be handed to them on April 23. BJP shouldn’t dare touch Tamil Nadu, otherwise they will feel the heat.”
This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first major defeat in his 12-year regime, Stalin said. “This is the first time Edappadi K Palaniswami has faced a massive defeat even before the election. Black shirts have defeated the saffron army. This amendment was brought in the name of the Women’s Reservation Bill, and the INDIA bloc has defeated them,” he added.
Regarding the Bill, he said that there was no clarification provided about delimitation. The centre says Tamil Nadu’s representation will not be affected, but that is not what is written in the actual law, he added.
Earlier, speaking in Andipatti, Stalin accused the union government of engaging in divisive and hatred-driven politics against Tamils, and attempted to reduce the number of MPs from Tamil Nadu through delimitation.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah claim that the number of MP seats in Tamil Nadu would increase after delimitation, but it is not true, the numbers will drastically reduce,” he said.
“As long as the DMK remains in power in the state, BJP’s saffron politics cannot take root,” he added, calling for a continuous struggle against such forces. “In order to ensure social justice and rights of Tamil Nadu, supporters of dictatorial BJP must be wiped out from the state,” he said.
“We are connecting with voters by explaining the welfare schemes and how effectively they have been implemented. On the other hand, AIADMK chief Palaniswami is shamelessly campaigning for the NDA,” Stalin said.
Further, Stalin indirectly attacked AMMK president T T V Dhinakaran, stating, “There is another slave in the NDA who is famous for bribery charges, only through him could we come to know the number of anti-corruption laws available. Another highlight is that he tried to bribe the Election Commission, and went on a tour of the Tihar jail.”
We didn’t oppose delimitation, wanted fairness: CM
“(Delimitation) must strengthen the union, not weaken its balance,” CM Stalin said. In his X post, he also said, “Guided by Periyar, inspired by Anna, and strengthened by Kalaignar, Tamil Nadu has always stood for justice, dignity and federalism. The south stood united and made its voice heard. Democracy prevailed.”
Clarifying that DMK never opposed delimitation, he said that the party asked for fairness, for a process that is consulted, thought through and agreed upon. “Not one pushed through for political gain,” he said. He also thanked all opposition parties for their united stand.
On the women’s reservation bill, Stalin in a separate post on X said that DMK wanted the immediate implementation of the bill.
“Tamil Nadu was among the earliest to implement reservation for women in local bodies. Our concern is with delimitation which requires careful thought to ensure it is fair, especially for southern states. We asked for consultation, clarity, and consensus.
At the very best, the women’s quota bill could have been delinked and implemented,” he said in the post. He also said that the BJP called for a special session in the middle of the state elections.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai described it as “a significant moment that reflects the dignity of democracy,” calling it a victory for Opposition Leader Rahul Gandhi and the INDIA bloc’s united resistance. He also said that the alliance would “firmly act for public welfare” in the times ahead.
VCK general secretary and MP D Ravikumar called it a “humiliating defeat” for the Modi government, and said “conspiracy to eliminate southern states through delimitation — using women’s reservation as a smokescreen — has been foiled.”