MK Stalin’s ‘language war’ warning draws K Annamalai’s ‘stupid arguments’ reaction
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin intensified the Hindi-imposition rhetoric on Tuesday as he claimed the state was “ready” for “another language war” and announced an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the Lok Sabha delimitation issue.
Reacting to the remark, Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai claimed the DMK chief was trying to “shift the narrative” and stoke “imaginary fear” regarding delimitation because the people of the state rejected his objection to the three-language policy.
The “language war” refers to the DMK’s anti-Hindi agitation in 1965, when the Dravidian party successfully campaigned against the alleged imposition of the language on the Tamil people.
MK Stalin claimed today that Tamil Nadu faced the threat of losing 8 seats to delimitation because the state had successfully implemented the family planning programme that led to population control.
He informed the media that he has called 40 political parties to the meeting.
Elaborating on why he called the all-party meeting on March 5, MK Stalin said he needed the support of several MPs to raise issues like NEP, central funds and NEET in the parliament.
“Because, in the name of delimitation, a sword is hanging over southern states,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
He claimed the state may lose Lok Sabha seats to the delimitation exercise because the process would be based on the state’s population.
“Tamil Nadu succeeded in population control through the family planning programme. Just because the population is less, there is a situation of the Lok Sabha seats being cut down (in TN). We stand to lose 8 seats and as a result, we would be having only 31 MPs, and not the 39 (present number),” he said.
He said if Tamil Nadu’s representation in the parliament was reduced, its voice could be stifled.
Annamalai slams MK Stalin
Annamalai slammed the CM, claiming the people of Tamil Nadu rejected his opposition to the National Education Policy, forcing him to latch on to another narrative.
“When TN CM Thiru MK Stalin knows the whole of TN has rejected their argument… on the third language for our children studying in TN Govt schools similar to the schools run by TN CM’s family, he now wants to shift the narrative to his imaginary fear of TN losing in the Delimitation of seats. What a shame & downfall for DMK,” he wrote on X.
“Imaginary fears & stupid arguments have, of late, become TN CM’s arsenal,” he added.
MK Stalin last week said he wouldn’t implement the NEP because it was regressive and aimed at imposing the three-language policy.
Stalin recently said that he wouldn’t implement NEP even if the Centre gave the state a funding of ₹10000 crore.