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At the recent meeting on delimitation, former Odisha Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik voiced strong concerns about the potential unfairness of population-based delimitation.
Patnail who joined the meeting via video-conference said, "This is an important meeting to ensure democratic representation and rights of people living in states that have done very well to control and stabilise population." He emphasized that population control is an essential national agenda that directly contributes to the country's development. He continued, stating that while population control has been an effort that these states have made towards a positive national agenda, it would be unjust if delimitation was based solely on population figures. Patnaik underlined that states like Odisha, which have made significant strides in managing population growth, should not be penalized for their success. "Population Control is an important national agenda for the development of our country," he said. "While this (population control) has been our contribution towards a positive national agenda, towards building a strong India, delimitation based only on population figures will be unfair to the states that have worked hard to reduce their population growth rates in line with national priorities," he added. Patnaik reiterated his party's stance, asserting that population should not be the sole criteria for determining the number of seats in the highest representative body of the country. "It is our stand that population should not be the only criteria to determine number of seats in the highest representative body of our country," he remarked. The former Odisha CM suggested that the Union Government engage in detailed discussions with all political parties to address concerns and clear up any doubts regarding the delimitation process. "I suggest that the Union Government take up a detailed discussion with all parties so as to remove any doubts on this very important issue that has far-reaching implications for our democracy," Patnaik said. Earlier on Saturday, The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led Central government over the issue of the delimitation stating that this sudden process without any consultation is not driven by any Constitutional principle but by "narrow political interests." "Proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies is hanging over our heads...Various reports indicate that the BJP-led Union Government is going ahead with the delimitation process without any consultation. This sudden move is not driven by any Constitutional principle or any democratic imperative. But by narrow political interests," CM Vijayan said during the meeting. The Kerala Chief Minister further stated that if the delimitation is carried out purely on the basis of population, then Kerala and other southern states will suffer from this. He said, "Delimitation process, if it is undertaken after the census, will lead to a large increase in the number of seats of northern states while there will be a significant reduction of the southern states in Parliament. This will suit the BJP as they hold greater influence in the north. If delimitation is carried out purely on the basis of population, then Kerala and other southern states will suffer as we have been bringing down our population since 1973 when the previous delimitation was carried out in which the number of seats in Lok Sabha was reorganised." Hitting out at the Central government, CM Vijayan stated that the Union Government's actions from fiscal policies to language policies to cultural policies to now even the fixation of representation are "destabilising" India's federal system and democratic framework. "If our Parliamentary representation is further reduced, while our share of the nation's wealth continues to decline, we will face an unprecedented situation in which both our rightful share of funds and outer political voice to demand them diminishes simultaneously. It is in recognition of the gravity of this issue that we, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Odisha, West Bengal and Punjab are now uniting in protest. We are gathered here at the invitation of Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin to mark the beginning of our coordinated resistance by forming a Joint Action Committee. The Union Government's actions from fiscal policies to language policies to cultural policies to now even the fixation of representation are destabilising India's federal system and democratic framework. This cannot be allowed to pass," the Kerala CM said. (ANI)
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