CHENNAI: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) joined the statewide black flag protest spearheaded by the DMK, aimed at condemning the Union govt’s proposed delimitation exercise.IUML national president K M Kader Mohideen called the Union govt’s plan to redraw constituency boundaries based on population a “historical injustice.” Responding to the chief minister M K Stalin’s call for a visible show of resistance, the IUML leadership has directed its cadres and officials at all levels—state, district, city and town units—to participate in a symbolic one-day protest.“All party functionaries and cadres are directed to hoist black flags at their residences to register their opposition. They are encouraged to wear black badges on their shirts throughout the day while performing their duties. The party intends to highlight how the proposed constitutional amendments could weaken the democratic rights of the Tamil people,” said Mohideen in a release.
Mohideen emphasised that the IUML stands firmly with its allies in protecting the autonomy and rights of the state. “This is not just a political issue; it is a fight for the future of our representation in the Union. We must send a strong message to the BJP-led govt that Tamil Nadu will not accept any move that undermines its stature,” he said.MNM, led by actor-politician and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan, termed the move a strategic attempt to weaken the political influence of southern states.In a statement, MNM general secretary Senthil Arumugam alleged that the bill to redraw parliamentary constituencies based on population is “geared toward strengthening north Indian states while betraying the south.” The party argued that Tamil Nadu and other southern neighbours were being penalised for their success in achieving national population control goals.“This bill, brought in with such haste, is a shortcut to suppress the voice of the south—pioneers in population management—within the halls of Parliament,” the statement read.The party instructed its functionaries to hoist black flags at the headquarters and district units as a mark of condemnation. The party urged the functionaries and cadres to educate the public on how the new delimitation could lead to a permanent imbalance in India’s democratic structure.“Our struggle is about protecting the constitutional rights and the future of the Tamil people,” Arumugam added. “We will not sit idly while the democratic weight of our state is systematically devalued.”The delimitation move has drawn sharp criticism from the Secular Progressive Alliance, with chief minister M K Stalin asserting that population-based delimitation would unfairly penalise southern states, particularly Tamil Nadu, which has successfully implemented national population control goals. Stalin has warned that this could lead to a significant erosion of the state’s political representation and voice in the parliament.
