Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin asserts the state's victory over the Centre's delimitation bill, criticising the BJP's handling of the Women's Reservation Bill and emphasising the importance of fairness and federalism.
Key Points
- Stalin criticises the BJP for not delinking the Women's Reservation Bill and accuses them of using it for political optics.
- Tamil Nadu has consistently advocated for justice, dignity, and federalism, guided by principles of Periyar and Dravidian leaders.
- Stalin asserts that Tamil Nadu will always rise united against challenges to its rights, identity, and the federal spirit of India.
On the defeat of the Constitution Amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha, Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said, "Tamil Nadu defeats Delhi; TN fought, TN won".
The south stood united and made its voice heard and democracy prevailed, he said.
Though the Centre could have delinked the Women's Reservation Bill and passed it in the Lower House, they chose not to do so and "women are watching", he added.
Reacting to the defeat of the bill, Stalin posted in social media a portrait of him setting on fire a copy of the delimitation bill.
The bill sought to implement reservation for women in legislatures in 2029 and also increase the number of seats in the Lok Sabha.
DMK leaders distributed sweets and burst firecrackers to celebrate the defeat of the bill in Parliament.
Stalin said: "On April 23 (when TN will vote for the Assembly election), we will defeat Delhi's arrogance, together with slaves who support that arrogance."
Furthermore, the chief minister said that delimitation was about representation, about who gets a voice in India's democracy. "It must strengthen the union, not weaken its balance," he said in a statement.
Guided by 'Periyar' EV Ramasamy, inspired by Dravidian icon CN Annadurai, and strengthened by late DMK patriarch, former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, Tamil Nadu had always stood for justice, dignity, and federalism, he said.
The south stood united and made its voice heard and democracy prevailed.
The chief minister said: "We never opposed delimitation. We asked for fairness, for a process that is consulted, thought through, and agreed upon. Not one pushed through for political gain."
He added: "This is our resolve: every time Tamil Nadu's rights are challenged, every time its identity or culture is questioned, and every time the federal spirit of India is tested, Tamil Nadu will rise united and unwavering. My sincere thanks to all opposition parties who stood united."
On the Women's Reservation Bill, Stalin, the president of Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK said, "read the fine print...the truth is simple, the BJP could have delivered, it chose not to."
Elaborating, Stalin said the BJP called for a special session in the middle of state elections, over two-and-a-half years after the Women's Reservation Bill was passed in 2023, only to confirm that it cannot be implemented without a Census and delimitation.
The CM said: "Let us be very clear. We want the Women's Reservation Bill to be implemented now. Tamil Nadu was among the earliest to implement reservation for women in local bodies." However, Tamil Nadu's concern was in respect of delimitation, which required careful thought to ensure that it was fair, especially for the southern states.
"We asked for consultation, clarity, and consensus. At the very least, the Bill could have been delinked and implemented. The NDA could have delinked it. They chose not to".
The BJP-led Centre could have consulted states on delimitation. However, they chose not to do so. "They could have addressed these concerns in the Bill. They chose not to. This is not justice. This is not intent. This is optics. Women in Tamil Nadu see through this. Women across India are not a vote bank. They are watching."
While 298 members voted in support of the bill in Lok Sabha, 230 MPs voted against it. Out of 528 members who voted, the bill required 352 votes for a two-third majority.
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