Nerw Delhi: DMK lawmaker A. Raja delivered a blistering critique of the Delimitation Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, accusing the central government of utilising the legislation as a "diabolical" tool to marginalise southern states and undermine the foundations of Indian democracy.

Raja alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have deviated from the legal substance of the bill to offer justifications for a restructuring that would disproportionately favour northern India. The former Union Minister argued that the government is actively eroding parliamentary values through its current legislative agenda.

"None other than the prime minister and the home minister completely deviated from the substance and pith of the bill," Raja stated. He further accused the administration of attempting to "undermine the parliamentary democracy and parliamentary values."

Concerns Over Southern Marginalisation

Addressing the specific impact on his home state, Raja expressed deep scepticism regarding the Home Minister’s assurances that the South would suffer no loss of influence. While Amit Shah suggested a projected 50% increase in seats across the board, Raja characterised the administration's stance as an attempt to minimise "artificially created" fears that are, in fact, deeply rooted in history.

Raja noted that the friction between the North and South existed during the drafting of the Constitution. He cited the 1956 reorganisation of states along linguistic lines and referenced the warnings of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, who noted the distinct divide between the Hindi-speaking North and the non-Hindi-speaking South.

According to Raja, Ambedkar warned that commission efforts could lead to the "consolidation of the north and balkanization of the south," particularly as the Hindi-speaking population represented nearly half the nation.

Constitutional and Cultural Objections

The DMK leader challenged the legality of the new bill's Section 8, which mandates seat allocation based on the most recent census data. Raja argued this contradicts Article 81, Clause 2 of the Constitution, which requires a uniform ratio between population and parliamentary representation across all states.

Raja maintained that the reorganisation of states was intended to ensure that a region's language, ethnicity, and culture were accurately reflected in its governance. He accused the current leadership of "misguiding the parliament with wrong data" to advance a specific ideological agenda.

"Ambedkar wrote, 'South's hatred will grow, if North continues to exercise disproportionate influence,'" Raja reminded the House.

Allegations of a Theocratic Agenda

In his concluding remarks, Raja alleged that the government is using the guise of women's rights to institutionalise regional discrimination. He characterised the North-South divide as a strategy to secure "perpetual rule" at the centre and transition India toward a "theocratic state."

Raja vowed that the DMK would remain a firm barrier against the imposition of "one nation, one language, and one culture," a vision he described as a dream that would not be allowed to manifest. "We will oppose it," he declared.