Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday burnt a copy of the delimitation bill and dubbed it a “black law”, alleging it seeks to make the Tamil people “refugees” in their own land. Stalin hoisted a black flag and burnt a copy of the bill on delimitation circulated by the union government and raised slogans condemning the move, hours before the Parliament was to sit for a special session.
The CM burnt the copy of the bill at Namakkal in western Tamil Nadu, where he is camping in connection with electioneering. “Poradavom, Velvom ondraga” (Let us struggle, win together) was among the slogans raised by Stalin and others clad in black.
After Stalin burnt a copy of the bill, party leaders, office-bearers and elected representatives burnt copies of the bill in their respective regions. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, amidst his poll campaign, burnt a copy in Madurai.
The deputy chief minister alleged that delimitation was a weapon in the hands of the Centre to cut off the state’s political representation.
Hitting out at the Union government for “continuously betraying” Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi alleged that the Centre was thinking of implementing whatever it wished with the assistance of some northern states.
He alleged the Centre wanted to cut down the representation of southern states in the Parliament.
“The soil of Tamil Nadu, noted for its self-respect will never bow before the BJP’s arrogance…let the fire –seeking rights– lit by the party chief spread across India, “ the Deputy CM said in a statement.
At DMK state headquarters Anna Arivalayam, under the leadership of party leaders RS Bharathi and TKS Elangovan party workers, clad in black, burnt copies of the delimitation bill.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee chief K Selvaperunthagai held a black flag demonstration in Salem and condemned the Centre over delimitation.
Dravidar Kazhagam chief K Veeramani hoisted black flag and set a copy of the bill on fire.
DK is the ideological parent outfit of Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK. Both the CPI and CPI (M), allies of the DMK, also joined the protest by hoisting black flags to mark their opposition to delimitation exercise.
In a statement, Stalin said: “Let the flames of resistance spread across Tamil Nadu. Let the arrogance of the fascist BJP be brought down. Then, the fire of resistance against Hindi imposition that rose from Tamil Nadu scorched Delhi. It quietened only after Delhi was forced to yield.” He was apparently referring to the anti-Hindi agitation in the 1960s in the state.
“Today, I have reignited that fire by burning the copy of this black law and hoisting the black flag against this black law that seeks to turn Tamils into refugees in our own land. This fire will now spread across the Dravidian land. It will rise, it will rage, and it will bring the BJP’s arrogance to its knees,” he added.
As soon as Stalin unfurled the black flag, his party office-bearers, ministers and cadres hoisted black flags in their respective homes; in party offices and in public spaces as well across Tamil Nadu.
Besides the DMK’s state headquarters, ‘Anna Arivalayam’ in Chennai, black flags were hoisted in prominent spots on the Chennai premises of Kamal Haasan-led Makkal Needhi Maiam and Vaiko-helmed MDMK, allies of the DMK.
A black flag was also spotted in the Chennai-Gopalapuram residence of late DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi.
Black flags were hoisted in the residence of chief minister in Chennai and also in the homes of his cabinet colleagues.
On Wednesday, while staunchly opposing the Centre’s proposed delimitation, Stalin had called for a black flag protest across the state, alleging that the BJP-led NDA’s move would harm Tamil Nadu’s interests.
