Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s high-profile inauguration of the new Pamban Bridge on Sunday, sparking political controversy. Stalin, instead, raised concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise and its potential impact on Tamil Nadu.
In a public statement, Stalin called on PM Modi to guarantee that Tamil Nadu, which has successfully controlled population growth, would not lose parliamentary seats in the redrawing of constituencies. He emphasized that states with reduced population growth should not be penalized, stressing that their share of seats should remain unchanged.
“Standing on Tamil soil, the Prime Minister must assure that Tamil Nadu and other states with effective population control will not see a reduction in their representation,” Stalin said, as reported by India Today.
Stalin’s absence from the Pamban Bridge event was seen as a political move, drawing criticism from the BJP. K Annamalai, BJP state president, accused Stalin of ‘insulting’ the Prime Minister and called his actions a “drama.”
In contrast, Stalin was in Udhagamandalam (Ooty), where he inaugurated a government hospital and stated that he had informed PM Modi about his inability to attend the Rameswaram event.
