Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 15 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday expressed concerns over the Centre’s proposed delimitation exercise, alleging that it could undermine the federal structure and adversely affect states like Kerala.
In a statement, Vijayan said the Bill proposed to be introduced in a special session of Parliament, based on the 2011 Census, would significantly affect the rights of states and the principle of equitable justice.
He said it was also worrying that the Centre was proceeding on such a crucial issue without arriving at a consensus with the states.
According to the Chief Minister, there is a widespread concern that the move is aimed at converting the political dominance of northern states, based on population, into increased Lok Sabha seats, thereby securing long-term political power.
“States like Kerala will be directly affected by this. States that have acted responsibly by advancing in population control, education, healthcare, and women’s empowerment are being penalised. Reduced representation and a lower share cannot be considered a just federal arrangement,” he said.
He said the message that “controlling population leads to loss, while failing to control it brings gains” is dangerous for the country’s democratic direction.
“States that followed family planning policies encouraged by successive central governments after Independence now face reduced proportional representation in Parliament, while those that lagged behind in such efforts gain increased representation. This amounts to double standards,” he said.
Vijayan said that using issues of social justice, such as women’s reservation, as a cover for this is driven by narrow political interests.
“Ensuring political representation for women is essential. However, denying fairness and equality among states under that pretext amounts to nothing less than undermining democracy,” he said.
He said democracy is not merely about numerical majority but must be founded on justice and balanced representation.
“In a federal India, equal respect and reasonable representation must be ensured for all states. Otherwise, the delimitation Bill will be seen as a shortcut to legitimise political dominance. The central government must withdraw from this anti-democratic move,” he added. PTI TBA TBA ROH
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