Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 16 : The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday protested against the Centre, raising strong objections to the proposed delimitation bill that aims for a wider political overhaul.
The Constitutional Amendment bill's implementation is tied to a population-based revision of constituencies based on the 2011 census. It proposes delimitation - a wider political overhaul - aiming to change the size and composition of state legislative assemblies and Lok Sabha.
The protest by DMK leaders, including RS Barathi, TKS Elangovan, and Kanimozhi Somu, was carried out at the party's headquarters in Chennai. The protesting leaders burned a copy of the proposed delimitation bill and raised slogans against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in centre.
This comes after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin this morning burned a copy of the proposed delimitation bill.
Stalin also raised a black flag to kick off statewide anti-delimitation agitation.
"Delimitation: May the resistance spread across Tamil Nadu. May the arrogance of the fascist BJP collapse. Back then, the fire of resistance against Hindi that ignited in Tamil Nadu scorched Delhi. Our fire subsided only after Delhi yielded. Today, I have ignited another fire by burning a copy of the black law that turns Tamils into refugees in their own land. This fire too will spread across the Dravidian land. It will subdue the BJP's arrogance," Stalin posted on X.
The opposition to the proposed delimitation bill has been mounting for a long time and has escalated after the Centre's recent approval of draft amendment bills to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.
The opposition has also objected to haste in convening a special Parliament sitting amid the election season.
The government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.
The government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.
The Centre called a special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18.