'Fair delimitation' is now a national movement, says Stalin ahead of JAC

RSS slams attempts to stoke north-south divide

Chief ministers and deputy chief ministers of at least seven states will be among the galaxy of political leaders who will attend the Saturday’s Joint Action Committee (JAC) meeting called by Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Chennai to press for a “fair delimitation” of the Lok Sabha seats.

 

On the eve of the meeting, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president MK Stalin said the initiative to demand “fair delimitation has grown into a national movement, with states across India joining hands to demand fair representation”.

 

Stalin said that delimitation solely based on population was a deliberate attempt to “undermine certain states”.  

 

 

Meanwhile, just a few hours’ drive from Chennai, in Karnataka's IT capital Bengaluru, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on the first day of the three-day meeting of its highest decision making body, slammed attempts to stoke “north-south divide”.

 

And back in Tamil Nadu, BJP’s state President K Annamalai, too described the meeting on delimitation a “delusional drama”.

 

But chief minister Stalin, in a three-minute video released on the eve of the meeting, termed the upcoming meeting as “a historic day for Indian federalism.”

 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has landed in Chennai on Friday to take part in the meeting. Punjab’s CM Bhagwant Mann and that of Telangana, A Revanth Reddy too are expected to attend the event, along with Karnataka’s Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

 

Leaders of Odisha’s Biju Janata Dal, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and Andhra Pradesh’s YSR Congress Party are also likely to attend. The meeting will be held in a five-star hotel in Chennai. 

 

Stalin said the Centre must not punish states that have controlled their population growth efficiently, and contributed to national progress. He described the DMK-led all-party meeting held in Chennai on March 5 as a “landmark moment” which saw participation from 58 parties of the state.

 

“This is a defining moment in our collective journey. This is more than a meeting, it is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country,” Stalin said.

 

The state’s ruling DMK has been at odds with the National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, accusing the latter of halting education funds, the National Education Policy, alleged Hindi imposition and delimitation.

 

Earlier this month, the state government used a Tamil letter ‘Roo’ (for promotional material on state budget 2025-26) to denote Rupee.

 

On his part, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has assured southern states will not lose a “single Parliamentary seat” and has accused Stalin of spreading “misinformation”.

 

On Friday, Shah said in the Rajya Sabha that “there have been enough divisions in the nation in the name of language, and it should not happen anymore.”

 

“Hindi is not in competition with any Indian language, it is only a friend of other languages,” he said.

     

RSS slams attempts to create ‘north-south divide’

 

At the inaugural day of the three-day meeting of its highest decision making body, the All India Pratinidhi Sabha in Bengaluru, the RSS said it prefers the mother tongue to be a mode of education and day-to-day communication.

 

RSS’ joint general secretary CR Mukunda, addressing the media on the first day of the meeting in Bengaluru, described the debate over delimitation as “politically motivated”.

 

In a reference to the DMK, he said forces challenging national unity were a “matter of worry”.

 

Mukunda said the meeting, which RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat inaugurated, will hold “intense discussions on some of the contemporary and burning issues”, including the Manipur situation and attempts to create the “North-South divide” in the country.