Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin on Wednesday called for a statewide protest against the proposed delimitation exercise, urging people to hoist black flags at their homes and in public spaces, while warning the Centre that it is “playing with fire.” Stalin made the remarks after convening an emergency meeting of DMK Members of Parliament to discuss the potential impact of delimitation on the state’s political representation.
In a strongly worded post on X, Stalin wrote, “Let the black flags rise! Tamil Nadu will fight! Tamil Nadu will win!” He termed the proposed exercise a “massive historic injustice inflicted upon Tamil Nadu and the other southern states,” adding, “Every South Indian south of the Vindhyas is boiling with rage. The BJP is playing with fire.”
The protest call comes ahead of a special three-day session of Parliament beginning Thursday, where the Centre is expected to introduce a series of key legislations, including a Constitution amendment bill, a delimitation bill, and an enabling law to extend the proposed framework to Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and Puducherry in the Lok Sabha. According to government plans, the number of Lok Sabha seats could be increased from the current 543 to around 850 to operationalise the women’s reservation framework ahead of the 2029 general elections. The exercise would be based on the latest published census data.
Raising concerns over the implications for southern states, Stalin questioned whether Tamil Nadu was being “punished” despite its contribution to national growth.
“Is this a punishment for striving for India’s development?” he asked, warning that the state would strongly resist any move that diminishes its representation.
“If the Union government refuses to heed Tamil Nadu’s voice and withdraw, you will have to face the consequences. You will have to pay a heavy price,” he said, adding, “As DMK President, and above all as a self-respecting Tamil, I warn once again.”
The emergency meeting with DMK MPs was held via video conference from Dharmapuri, where Stalin is currently engaged in election campaigning.
In a separate post, the Chief Minister intensified his criticism, stating, “The sword that hung over our heads has now descended upon us.” He added that the DMK was reaching out to MPs across states to build a coordinated opposition against the move.
“This is not about parties or individuals. It is about protecting the rights of our people. I appeal to all parties and MPs across India to unite to safeguard our democracy,” Stalin said.
The opposition, including Stalin and several regional leaders, has repeatedly raised concerns over the proposed Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, alleging that it does not ensure proportional seat allocation and could reduce the political representation of southern states in Parliament.
Follow us
