COIMBATORE: Union home minister Amit Shah said chief minister M K Stalin was misleading people of Tamil Nadu with false statements that the state would stand to lose parliamentary constituencies due to delimitation exercise.
The number of Lok Sabha constituencies will not be reduced as claimed by Stalin, Shah said, addressing BJP workers after inaugurating the party office at Peelamedu in Coimbatore on Wednesday. On the contrary, TN will get more seats, he said.
Shah’s visit to TN comes amidst an intense Centre-state tussle over alleged Hindi imposition and inadequate fund allocation. He launched an all-out attack on DMK govt, but chose not to mention BJP’s erstwhile ally AIADMK throughout his speech.
“The Prime Minister has made it clear that no state will lose its Lok Sabha seats due to delimitation. Instead, Tamil Nadu and other southern states will only gain constituencies on a pro rata basis,’’ he said.
Alleging that the CM was giving false statements, Shah demanded that Stalin explain the basis on which he said TN would lose parliamentary constituencies due to delimitation. “It is condemnable to mislead the people,” Shah said.
The home minister’s clarification comes a day after Stalin announced that an all-party meeting would be convened on March 5 to discuss the consequences of the delimitation exercise.
Shah said Stalin as well as deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin were finding new issues to divert public attention from corruption and deterioration of law and order in TN.
On fund allocation too, Stalin was misleading people of TN with false statements, Shah said. “NDA govt has given Rs 5 lakh crore to TN in 10 years whereas UPA govt gave only 1.5 lakh crore in as many years. In addition, NDA govt has also given 1.4 lakh crore for infrastructure development projects in TN,’’ Shah added. He said it was not BJP, but Stalin who betrayed people of TN when DMK was part of UPA govt.
Though Shah did not delve into the Hindi imposition row, he said BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi respected and nurtured Tamil language and culture. “The Sengol from TN was placed in the new Parliament building,” he said.
Slamming DMK govt’s administration, he said the accused in the Vengaivayal incident have not been arrested yet, illicit liquor was flowing throughout the state, drug mafia was roaming freely and sand smuggling was happening with govt support.
Even in places like a university, there was no safety for girls, he said. “Anti-national tendency is at an all-time high in TN,’’ he charged. Meanwhile, DMK leaders are competing in corruption, said Shah. “They have obtained a master’s degree in corruption. DMK is enrolling all those who are experts in corruption,” he said.
The time has come to oust the “anti-people, anti-national’ DMK, Shah said, exuding confidence of winning the 2026 assembly election in TN. “The NDA govt in TN will chart a new history by putting an end to divisiveness, removing corruption and uprooting anti-national elements,’’ he said.
Shah had also inaugurated via video conference the party offices in Tiruvannamalai and Ramanathapuram. Senior BJP leaders including union minister of state L Murugan, state president K Annamalai and national women’s wing president Vanathi Srinivasan were present.