'No reduction in Parliamentary seats due to delimitation': Shah assures southern states

Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu), Feb 26 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday assured the southern states that they will not lose a "single Parliamentary seat" due to delimitation and accused Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin of spreading "misinformation" on the issue.

Shah, who was addressing BJP members after inaugurating a party office here, also rejected Stalin's claims of "injustice" to the state in the allocation of central funds, saying the Narendra Modi government has provided Rs 5,08,337 crore to the state during the 2014-24 period.

The Union Home Minister was reacting to Stalin's remarks that the delimitation exercise would impact the southern states, especially Tamil Nadu, which the Chief Minister claimed stands to lose 8 out of the 39 Lok Sabha seats due to delimitation and has convened an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the matter.

"No southern state including Tamil Nadu would see a reduction in the Parliamentary representation when delimitation will be done on a pro rata basis...And I want to reassure the public of South India that Modi ji has kept your interest in mind to make sure that not even one seat is reduced pro rata. Whatever increase is there, Southern states will get a fair share, there is no reason to doubt this," Shah asserted.

The Modi government has made it clear in the Lok Sabha that no southern state will lose even one seat after delimitation and that the interest of the people of the southern states will be ensured in the matter, he asserted.

Accusing the Tamil Nadu government of "corruption and anti-national activities", Shah said the people in the state are anguished over several issues and "the CM and his son (Udhayanidhi) have taken up some issue to divert public attention." At the event, which was attended by state party chief Annamalai, Union minister L Murugan, and BJP National Secretary Arvind Menon among others, Shah also asserted that in 2026, Tamil Nadu would witness the formation of an NDA government, signaling the new era.

Lashing out at the ruling DMK dispensation on the law and order situation in the state, the Union Home Minister, said, "the anti-national tendency is at an all-time high in Tamil Nadu". The state has the "worst law and order situation in the country", he said.

"Tamil Nadu government provided security during the last journey of 1998 bomb blast accused and mastermind (SA Basha)," he said and also alleged that the drug mafia enjoyed a free hand in selling drugs in the state and that illegal mining mafia was making politics corrupt here.  "All the leaders of DMK have got Master's degree in corruption --One leader is involved in a cash-for-job scam, another in a money laundering case, third in a disproportionate wealth case, fourth in a coal scam, and the fifth was involved in Rs 6,000 crore CRIDP scam. It seems the DMK has selected the corrupt through the party's members drive," he charged at the event.

Daring the Chief Minister to speak the truth on fund allocation, the Home Minister said: "Answer my questions before the people. I say with statistics that the Modi government gave Rs 5,08,337 crore to Tamil Nadu as against a mere Rs 1.52 lakh crore by the then UPA regime (from 2004-2014). You are saying the Modi government is doing injustice. But the injustice was done to the state during the UPA regime when you were part of the government then." In addition, the Centre provided Rs 1.43 lakh crore to Tamil Nadu to develop its infrastructure, he said.

Shah deplored the lack of safety for girl students in the university and expressed concern that college students were getting killed for opposing the sale of illicit liquor.

       He exuded confidence the NDA will come to power in Tamil Nadu next year after the Assembly elections and that the win would be bigger than the saffron bloc's Maharashtra and Haryana victories.

At the event, Shah also virtually inaugurated the party offices at Tiruvannamalai and Ramanathapuram.

Responding to Shah, senior DMK leader and Lok Sabha member A Raja asked what was the basis for pro rata.

"The problem is pro rata. There is no problem as regards how many seats in the numerical sense. Pro rata on what basis, on population or the existing constituency of MP or MLAS," he asked while addressing a press conference at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam in Chennai.

He asked if Tamil Nadu was "being penalised" for following the government's advice on population control.

While the Parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu may not reduce as claimed by the Centre, those in some other states may go up as a result of the delimitation, Raja said.

"This could affect Tamil Nadu. Our voice will be stifled in key matters like NEET or jallikattu if there is voting," he said.

Raja said: "We will withdraw the (March 5) all-party meeting if they declare that the pro rata is not based on population but on the numerical strength of the parliamentary constituency." In his speech, Shah said Modi has fostered a spirit of healthy competition among all states.     After independence, Modi contributed the most to the Tamil language, culture, and dignity of Tamil Nadu, and by placing the sacred Sengol (scepter) in the Parliament House, he has honoured Tamil culture in the temple of Indian democracy," he added.      Shah later attended the Mahashivrathri celebrations, organised by Sadhguru's Isha Yoga Center. PTI JSP SA PYK PYK

Source: PTI