TVK, Congress Say DMK Backing BJP Through ‘Fair Delimitation’ Slogan

Chennai: Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) ministers and Congress leaders on Sunday flayed the DMK’s stand of accepting ‘fair delimitation’, charging the party with covertly backing the BJP and betraying Tamil Nadu people to escape from the corruption cases.

Responding to the charges, former DMK MP and spokesperson Kanimozhi Somu said there are no permanent foes and friends in politics and the DMK is firm in getting more seats for Tamil Nadu.

TNCC leader B. Manick Tagore, addressing the media, rejected the views of DMK deputy general secretary Kanimozhi that her party wanted a ‘fair delimitation’ and said ‘no delimitation’ should be the stand of Tamil Nadu. There is nothing called fair delimitation and it is a conspiracy by the BJP and RSS to bring down the political power of the southern States, he said. “There is no fair delimitation, and any delimitation will not be fair to Tamil Nadu”, he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would not give any kind of fair delimitation to Tamil Nadu. Even if a uniform 50 per cent increase of MPs is allowed, the number of MPs from Tamil Nadu would go up to 59 while that of Uttar Pradesh would rise to 120 increasing the gap between the two States from 41 seats to 61 seats, he said.

“Only the numbers will decide the decisions in Parliament and the gap in the number of seats between Southern States and Hindi heartland will permanently take away the political power of South India, " he said.

Congress MP Praveen Chakravarthy said if anyone overtly or covertly supported the delimitation Bill, it would be a betrayal of Tamil Nadu.

Law minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said in Madurai that the DMK had decided to walk out when the voting in delimitation bill is taken up, providing indirect support to it. He accused the DMK president M.K. Stalin of acting in a cordial way with the BJP to escape from the corruption cases. “The DMK is trying to mortgage the interests of Tamil Nadu to protect Stalin’s family,” he alleged.

Echoing his views, Health minister K.G. Arunraj said the DMK bowed to the BJP on the delimitation issue since each of their former ministers are facing corruption charges. They want to join hands with the BJP to escape from the charges, he added. Education minister Rajmohan asked why the DMK is hiding on the delimitation issue, adding the DMK had boycotted the MPs’ meeting on the issue for their ‘new friends’.

Replying to the charges, DMK spokesperson Kanimozhi Somu, daughter of former Union Minister N.V.N. Somu and granddaughter of party’s founding member N.V. Natarajan said, “We will accept any benefit for Tamil Nadu coming from anywhere".

VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan and CPI-M State secretary said there is no point in saying that an all-party meeting should not be held on the delimitation issue if such a meeting is not held on Mekedatu.

CPI-M MP Su. Venkatesan said that once the delimitation commission with powers is allowed to be formed, it need not answer Parliament again, adding that the 50 per cent increase for all the States is an eyewash.