Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Stalin said that I would earlier ask newlyweds to take their time before they plan a family.
Following the Centre's proposed delimitation row, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin reportedly took a sarcastic jab, suggesting that newlywed couples in the state should plan their families immediately in order to secure an advantage when the exercise is conducted.
Citing Tamil Nadu Chief Minister as saying at the wedding function of a DMK district secretary in Nagapattinam, NDTV reported that I would earlier ask newlyweds to take their time before they plan a family.
Stalin said, "But now with policies such as delimitation that the Union Government is planning to implement, we cannot say that. We focused on family planning and succeeded and were pushed into a situation such as this. So I would now urge newlyweds to immediately have babies and give them good Tamil names."
In recent days, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu has been vocal in opposing the Centre's delimitation plans, which include redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on demographic changes.
Chief Minister Stalin has expressed concern that southern states like Tamil Nadu, which have effectively implemented family planning over the years, may be deprived if the delimitation process takes place after 2026.
He believes that this may lead to reduced representation of southern states in Parliament, even though they contribute significantly to the country's GDP and have been successful in population control.
In reply, BJP spokesperson CR Keshavan slammed Stalin's remarks, calling them part of a "desperate and dishonest diversionary drama."
The NDTV report quotes Keshavan as saying, "Does the DMK, which is engaging in desperate and dishonest diversionary drama, have the courage to question Rahul Gandhi and seek an explanation on his call for 'Jitni Abadi, Utna Haq,' meaning rights proportionate to the population? This call of Rahul Gandhi is in direct contradiction with what DMK is purportedly claiming."
Additionally, Keshavan also accused DMK, of diverting attention from the party's alleged 'gross mismanagement, misrule and misgovernance.'
In between this, Stalin also tacitly appealed to the BJP to not boycott an upcoming all-party meeting regarding the delimitation issue.
"They are trying to implement delimitation that will reduce the number of Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu. I have convened an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss our stand on delimitation. Forty registered with the Election Commission have been invited. A majority of them have said yes, and a few are skipping it. But they should understand that this is not a problem of DMK, it is a problem for the entire state. So I urge everyone again to stand together for the welfare of this state and its rights," Stalin said as quoted by NDTV.