Nueva Delhi: The Minister of the Union, Hardeep Singh Puri, criticized the main minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin on Friday, for his recent comment urging couples to have more children immediately to ensure greater representation of the State in Parliament in the midst of concerns about the next delimitation exercise.
Puri ruled out the idea that states with higher birth rates would automatically benefit from the process, stating that the Indian governance system was mature and democratic.
“This does not work; those states that produce more children will benefit more during delimitation. We are not only the largest democracy in the world, but also the most mature governance system in the world,” Puri said while we interact with women journalists on the eve of the eve International Women’s DayAccording to the Ani news agency.
His comments come in response to Stalin’s comment on Monday, where he urged Tamil Nadu’s residents to reconsider family planning Norms, citing concerns that the proposed delimitation exercise could reduce the political representation of the State.
Speaking at a wedding ceremony, Stalin said: “Before, we used to say that you do not give birth immediately, there is no need to hurry. But now, it is not necessary, we must not say that too … because it is being said that the number of parliamentarians would be decided based on the population. The situation created is more population, more MPS. But we have achieved the success of the family.
Stalin’s comments were based on the growing political debate about the center’s delimitation plans, a constitutional process that writes parliamentary constituencies and the assembly to reflect the changes of the population.
The exercise, governed by articles 82 and 170 of the Indian ConstitutionIt is intended to guarantee a fair representation, but Stalin and other southern leaders argue that it could disproportionately favor states with greater population growth, reducing seats for states such as Tamil Nadu, who have successfully controlled their population through family planning policies.
He has also written to several main ministers and former main ministers, warning that delimitation could “reduce the influence of states such as Tamil Nadu, who have successfully controlled their population, to shape the future of the nation.”
In his letter, Stalin described the plan of the center “a shameless assault on federalism” and accused him of punishing the well -governed states. He also criticized the government of the Union for not providing clarity about the methodology behind the proposed changes, questioning whether the calculation of the seats would be really fair. “When the very basis of our democracy is at stake, can we accept such vague guarantees? When the future of our states hangs in balance, do we not deserve transparent dialogue?” asked.
The delimitation exercise, originally anticipated after the 2031 census, could now take place due to delays in the 2021 census.
If it is implemented according to the next census data, the South states fear that they will lose parliamentary seats, while states with higher birth rates could gain more representation in the Lok Sabha.
Stalin has proposed a joint action committee with representatives of the affected states to develop a collective strategy and ensure that delimitation does not criminalize the states that have successfully implemented population control.