Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Apr 17: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has criticised the Centre over the proposed Lok Sabha delimitation exercise, alleging that it could weaken the political importance of southern states and create divisions across the country.

The ongoing debate over the Women’s Reservation Bill and the delimitation proposal in the Lok Sabha has triggered sharp exchanges between the ruling BJP and Opposition parties, with several leaders accusing the Centre of attempting to alter the electoral balance.

Joining the debate, Thackeray launched a strong attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the party has spent the last decade engineering political splits and divisions along caste and religious lines. He warned that the delimitation exercise, if driven by political motives, could permanently divide the country and lead to demands for greater autonomy from various states.

Referring to past unrest, he cautioned against repeating mistakes that could trigger regional discontent, citing the example of the Khalistan movement in Punjab. He said similar dissatisfaction could arise in northeastern and southern states if their political representation is reduced.

Thackeray urged the Centre to ensure minimum guaranteed representation for states such as Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Assam, and allocate the remaining seats based on population. He warned that turning the Lok Sabha into a “numbers game” to retain power could weaken India’s federal structure and lead to instability.

Invoking Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, he said the Centre should not undermine the unity achieved through great struggle for political gains. He also questioned the urgency shown by the government in implementing the Women’s Reservation Bill through a notification even as discussions were ongoing.

At the same time, Thackeray clarified that his party fully supports the move to provide 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures. He emphasised that opposition from his party and others is directed at the delimitation process and not at women’s reservation, calling the latter a welcome step.

He added that Maharashtra has historically been a pioneer in introducing reservations for women in local self-government bodies and does not need lessons from others on the issue.