Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday called an all-party meeting on March 5 to discuss the Lok Sabha delimitation.
Addressing reporters after chairing a Cabinet meet at the Secretariat in Chennai, Stalin said that Tamil Nadu was facing the 'threat' of losing 8 seats as the state has successfully implemented the family planning programme that led to population control.
He said that political parties registered with the Election Commission would be invited for the meeting even as he appealed for unity and overcoming political differences.
Asked if the meeting will discuss the three-language policy, which is at the center of contention between the NDA-led Centre and the Tamil Nadu government in light of the National Education Policy (NEP), Stalin said that to raise voice in the Parliament on issues like NEP, central funds and NEET, adequate number of MPs was required.
"Because, in the name of delimitation, a sword is hanging over southern states. The state was leading in all development indices, but now faced the threat of losing out on the Lok Sabha seats post delimitation as the process would be based on the state's population," he said.
"Tamil Nadu succeeded in population control through the family planning programme. Just because 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 added.
Stalin said that with the delimitation, Tamil Nadu's voice will be stifled and urged all leaders to jointly speak across party lines on the issue.
"Our representation (in Parliament) will reduce, Tamil Nadu's voice is being stifled. This is a mater of Tamil Nadu's rights. All leaders and political parties should jointly speak across party lines on the issue," the CM said.
MK Stalin On Hindi Imposition Row
Speaking on the ongoing, Hindi imposition row, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said that the state was ready for another language war.
Responding to a query if the Centre was sowing the seeds for another language war, in light of the alleged Hindi imposition, Stalin replied, "Yes, certainly. We are ready for it."
The ruling DMK has been opposed to the three language policy and has been insisting Tamil Nadu was content with Tamil and English, and has accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of imposing Hindi, a charge denied by the union government.
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.
In a copy of the invitation for the all-party meeting uploaded on his 'X' page, Stalin highlighted the various issues the state was facing, including central fund allocation.
Under such circumstances, the number of Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu going down will only further impact the state and it was the need of the hour to put up a show of unity in the interest of Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the need for such an all-party meeting, the CM added.