Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin urged the people of the state to have children immediately, warning that population-based delimitation could impact Tamil Nadu’s political representation. He also said that the state’s successful family planning measures put it at a disadvantage, India Today reported.
Suggesting a changing demographic scenario, Stalin said, “Earlier, we used to say, take your time and have a baby. But now the situation has changed, and we should say it now,” India Today quoted him.
He said that Tamil Nadu had successfully implemented family planning, and now its people are facing a situation where the population needs to be increased. According to him, there is the possibility that delimitation will be based on population census figures.
Emphasising that such a move would potentially impact the state, Stalin said, “So I won’t say take your time, but immediately have your baby.”
Regarding the delimitation issue, the CM called for an all-party meeting on March 5. Stalin intends everybody to come together and consider Tamil Nadu’s future, which, according to him, is at a critical juncture, and its people must protest to protect its rights.
He requested the opposition parties to attend the meeting that he urged them to attend, setting aside their ego.
“Don’t think about why you should listen to my call,” he said, stating the issue is a pressing case for the state. He announced that 40 political parties registered with the Election Commission had been invited to the meeting to deliberate on the implications of constituency delimitation. The matter is a “sword dangling over the state”, he said.