“The Delimitation Bill that is being pushed through by the BJP-led NDA government in Parliament on Thursday (April 16, 2026) would turn us into second-class citizens in our own country,” DMK president and Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said on Wednesday (April 15).

“When our MPs have no voice, will we have a voice? And if we do not raise our voice now, there will be no voice left for us to raise. The BJP should be given the drubbing it deserves,” he said, addressing a massive gathering at a poll campaign in Dharmapuri.

Slamming the NDA government’s move to push the Bill when the MPs are on the campaign trail, Mr. Stalin said, “there can never be a Prime Minister from the South if this Delimitation Bill goes through.”

He called for a strong pushback from the people of Tamil Nadu that must “once and for all suppress the arrogance of the BJP”.

‘Hoist black flags’

Urging the people of Tamil Nadu to hoist black flags in their homes, Mr. Stalin said, “At the same time that we hoist black flags at our homes, our MPs will be fighting it out [against the Bill] in Parliament on April 16”.

Mr. Stalin also criticised AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami for claiming that the Chief Minister’s rejection of the Delimitation Bill was his opposition to women’s reservation.

It was Kalaignar who gave right to equal share in property for women and created SHGs for them, Mr. Stalin said. The Chief Minister added that he, as Kalaignar’s son, was the one who had empowered women through a monthly income assurance; enabled their mobility through Vidiyal Payanam buses; encouraged their education through Pudhumai Penn and their labour participation through working women’s hostels; and reduced their domestic burden through the free breakfast scheme.

Population policy

Mr. Stalin also told the people that the rationale behind a population policy after Independence was to address poverty and push development by reducing population growth. “But the Delimitation Bill that will accord more seats to the populous northern States is punitive; it penalises the southern States that made progress and development by controlling population,” he said.

Mr. Stalin ‘reminded’ Mr. Palaniswami that this was a battle for Tamil Nadu and that he should stand with the State at least in this fight. “But then, when you (Palaniswami) had not backed Tamil Nadu during the Uniform Civil Code, the three-language fight and the FCRA bill, why would you stand up now,” he said.

EPS defending ‘owner’

“Mr. Palaniswami’s intention is not to abuse me. His real intention is to protect and defend the owner riding on his back, and therefore, he cannot oppose them,” the Chief Minister said, accusing the AIADMK leader of doing the bidding on behalf of his “owner”.

“The NDA is an alliance of traitors and betrayers. There is Mr. Palaniswami, who had pledged his own back for the BJP to piggyback on in order to stab the State. Then there is another, who struts around like a saint, but joined the alliance fearing corruption cases,” said Mr. Stalin, alluding to PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss.

Taking another swipe at Dr. Anbumani, Mr. Stalin said: “This person who calls himself a warrior of social justice is holding hands with the AIADMK, which shot dead 21 social justice warriors in this district in 1987 over their struggle for quotas, and the BJP, which is slowly dismantling reservations across the country. It was Kalaignar — when he came to power in 1989 — who provided 20% reservation for the most backward classes, giving them educational and employment opportunities. I, on the other hand, built a memorial for the 21 martyrs.”

It was the same AIADMK that burnt to death three innocent girls, Gokilavani, Gayathri, and Hemalatha, here in this district, when its leader (Jayalalithaa) was convicted,” Mr. Stalin said.

“The DMK-led alliance is overcoming many such betrayals to secure a win,” he said, and urged the people to hand such a defeat to the BJP in a way that the party would never forget. “I’m ready to fight. Are you ready to stand by me?” the Chief Minister asked the people.