CHENNAI: Raising concerns over the proposed amendments to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019 and the ongoing cooking gas shortage, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday accused the BJP-led union government of failing to address pressing issues and attempting to divert public attention.
On the proposed amendments to the 2019 Transgender Persons Act, Stalin stressed the need for wider consultation and consensus-building with the transgender community. “The proposed amendments to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 cannot be pushed through without listening to the very people whose rights and lives it will affect,” he said in a post on X on Wednesday.
Stalin further pointed out that opposition from within the transgender community should serve as a moment for introspection rather than enforcement. “When a law, framed in the name of protection, is being opposed by the community itself, it calls for reflection, not imposition. The union government must pause, engage, and build a genuine consensus with transgender persons before moving forward,” he said.
With the Rajya Sabha passing the bill on Wednesday, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, has now been passed by both houses of the parliament.
In another post on X, Stalin said the PM’s remarks comparing the LPG shortage situation to the Covid period have only worsened public anxiety. “’Like the Covid period,’ as stated by the prime minister, has already caused panic among people who are struggling due to gas shortage.”
Alleging that the centre was attempting to divert public attention, Stalin said, “Instead of taking serious measures to resolve this, the BJP government has now taken up the delimitation script to divert attention.”
Taking a dig at the opposition AIADMK for aligning with the BJP and remaining silent on public issues, he said in a post on X: “...the AIADMK has chosen to remain silent and avoid speaking about people’s problems, while questioning what the state government is doing.”
Stalin also rejected criticisms directed at the state and asked whether the gas cylinder supply and foreign policy are in the hands of the state government. “The state government has taken all possible measures within its capacity,” he said.