Rajnath Singh Dismisses Stalin’s Claims On Delimitation: ‘Will Increase Seats In TN, Won’t Just Benefit North’

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the delimitation exercise will increase seats in all states, including Tamil Nadu, despite Chief Minister Stalin's concerns.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the delimitation exercise will increase seats across all states including Tamil Nadu. 

Singh's remark came in response to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's assertion that the delimitation is a looming threat to the southern states. 

"I believe that delimitation should proceed as planned. If MK Stalin has any objections, he is free to raise them," Singh said during an interview with IANS. 

"People should rest assured that, whether for the Legislative Assembly or the Lok Sabha, the number of seats will naturally increase after delimitation in every state. I firmly believe that Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala will also see an increase. The claim that only North India will benefit is not justified," he said further. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party minister's statement also comes a day after Stalin wrote to seven Chief Ministers, urging them to oppose the proposed delimitation exercise, which he termed a "blatant assault on federalism."

"We are forming a Joint Action Committee to ensure that our states are not silenced. Let us stand together -- not as separate political entities, but as protectors of our people's future," Stalin stressed in his letter.

The Tamil Nadu CM has often argued that the southern states are being penalised for their success in population control and economic management. “We controlled our population, built our economy, and now they want to take our voice away?” he said at a recent public meeting.

Waqf Properties Not Being Utilised Properly 

Speaking on the issue of Waqf amendment bill, Singh said the Waqf Board properties are not being utilised for benefit of Muslim community. He further said that the objectives for which the Waqf Board was established are alsp not being fulfiled, so the amendment bill has been introduced to address all these issues. 

"As far as our government is concerned, I want to state clearly that we do not discriminate based on caste, religion or faith. As you yourself have pointed out, there are Waqf Board properties that are not being utilized for the benefit of the Muslim community as intended," he said.  

"Additionally, the objectives for which the Waqf Board was established are not being fulfilled. Therefore, our government has introduced an amendment bill in the Indian Parliament to address this issue. I am confident that this bill will be passed in both houses of Parliament and it rightfully should be," he added.