Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday took a swipe at MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam while addressing the women’s reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, saying he “thanks them for putting a ‘kala tika’ on Bills to ward off the evil eye.” The remark from PM came after DMK leaders raised slogans against the ruling-BJP and burned a proposed delimitation Bill.During the special session of Parliament, PM Modi also said that no state would face injustice amid concerns that northern states could gain seats at the expense of southern states.Speaking in the Lok Sabha during the debate on the Delimitation Bill, 2026 and the women’s quota bill, he said, “I give guarantee no injustice will be done to any state- from East to West, North to South.”As the women’s reservation Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha, PM Modi said that “we will give India a new direction.” He further pushed back against opposition criticism, saying there was “no need to give it a political colour.”Udhayanidhi Stalin, contesting from the Chepauk–Thiruvallikeni constituency in Chennai, along with others DMK candidates, campaigned on Thursday for the April 23 Assembly elections dressed in black to protest the Centre’s alleged move to reduce the state’s representation through delimitation.As part of the party’s state-wide agitation, Udhayanidhi also burnt a copy of the proposed delimitation bill.He accused the BJP-led Centre of “attempting to reduce” Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament and alleged that the issue was being used to divert public attention in the poll-bound state. Udhayanidhi further claimed that delimitation based on population would lead to a cut in the state’s Lok Sabha seats and urged people to oppose the move.“Today is a very important day. I am wearing a black shirt to oppose the delimitation bill. The union government is trying to reduce the representation of Tamil Nadu. Using the elections in the state, the union government is attempting to divert us from the election and enact the delimitation,” Udhayanidhi Stalin said, referring to the Constitution (131st Amendment) bill, as cited by PTI.“We should oppose it. At present, we have 39 Lok Sabha seats. If the delimitation is done properly, then we will get 59 seats, but the Centre is planning to allot only 47 seats, thereby reducing 12 constituencies,” he added.The Delimitation Bill, 2026, along with the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, were introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday after the Opposition demanded a division instead of a voice vote on their introduction.Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla initiated the division following the Opposition’s insistence on a recorded vote for the Constitution Amendment Bill.In the final tally, 251 members voted in favour and 185 against, clearing the way for the introduction of all three Bills, including the Delimitation Bill, 2026.
