During a special session of Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taunted by the DMK for protesting in black clothes against the delimitation bill. He thanked them for putting “Kala Tika” on bills to ward off the evil eye.
DMK president and Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin wore black clothes, hoisted a black flag and raised slogans against the move before a special session of Parliament on Thursday.
Stalin burnt a copy of the proposed delimitation bill, describing it as a “black law” and saying it would make Tamils ”refugees” in their own state, according to PTI.
The protest was held in Namakkal, where he campaigned, with slogans such as “Poradavom, Velvom ondraga” (Let’s fight, we will win together) from supporters dressed in black.
“Tamil Nadu soil will never bow down to BJP’s arrogance”
Following his protest, party leaders, officials and elected representatives staged similar demonstrations in their regions. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin also burnt a copy of the Act in Madurai during his campaign.
Udhayanidhi alleged that this delimitation exercise was being used by the Center as a tool to reduce Tamil Nadu’s political representation and accused the Union government of repeatedly neglecting the state and trying to push its agenda with the support of some northern states. He further claimed that the aim of this move was to reduce the representation of southern states in Parliament.
“The land of Tamil Nadu, known for its self-respect, will never bow down to the arrogance of the BJP…let the rights-seeking fire ignited by the party chief spread across India,” the deputy CM said in a statement.
At DMK state headquarters Anna Arivalayam, party workers in black, led by leaders RS Bharathi and TKS Elangovan, burnt copies of the delimitation bill in protest.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K. Selvaperunthagai staged a black flag demonstration in Salem slamming the Center over the issue. Dravidar Kazhagam President K. Veeramani also hoisted a black flag and set fire to a copy of the Act.
The Dravidar Kazhagam, considered the ideological parent of the ruling DMK, joined the protests along with allies such as the Communist Party of India and the Communist Party of India (Marxist), both of which expressed their opposition to the delimitation exercise by hoisting black flags.
Stalin declared: “Let the flames of resistance spread across Tamil Nadu. Let the arrogance of the fascist BJP be struck down. Then the fire of resistance against Hindu oppression that arose from Tamil Nadu burned Delhi. It died down only after Delhi was forced to submit.” Apparently he was referring to the anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s in the state.
“Today I rekindled that fire by burning a copy of this black law and raising a black flag against this black law that seeks to turn Tamils into refugees in our country. This fire will now spread across the entire Dravidian land. It will grow, rage and bring BJP’s arrogance to its knees,” he added.
(With agency input)
