Amit Shah's delimitation comment lacks clarity: A Raja

CHENNAI: Hours after Union Home Minister Amit Shah clarified that the proposed delimitation exercise would not reduce the Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu, DMK deputy organising secretary A Raja on Wednesday criticised that there was no clarity in Shah’s statement and Tamil Nadu was being punished for successfully executing the population control measures.

Talking to media persons at Anna Arivalayam after Shah’s speech earlier in the day, A Raja said, “Amit Shah told in Hindi that delimitation would be done based on percentage and Tamil Nadu would not lose even a single seat because of it.”

Taking strong exception to state BJP president K Annamalai’s translation of the Shah’s speech, the DMK deputy general secretary said, “The English translation of Shah’s speech released by the union government said that it would be done on a pro-rata basis. Will the pro-rata increase based on the existing number of LS seats or based on population? There is no answer to it.”

“As if he were trying to clarify the issue, Annamalai categorically said that the numbers would increase based on the percentage of existing LS seats. Shah did not say so. Annamalai has given a new interpretation. His statement is wrong,” argued Raja.

“Even if you retain our existing tally of LS seats and increase it for the northern states based on population, it will be unjust. The pro-rata increase in the tally of seats must be done based on 1971 Census and the existing strength of the Lok Sabha. They have provided 848 chairs in the Parliament. If you do it based on population or pro-rata, the numbers will decrease. Hence, based on whatever was stated in the 1971 census, if the existing numbers were increased pro-rata for all, it must be increased for us too,” Raja reasoned.

Earlier, in a statement, TNCC president K Selvaperunthagai exuded confidence that a good decision would be made at the March 5 all-party meeting called for by Chief Minister MK Stalin and said that the state Congress would support all initiatives taken by the CM to safeguard the rights of the state.