NEW DELHI: Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Friday slammed Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin over his recent remark urging couples to have more children immediately to secure greater representation of the state in Parliament amid concerns over the upcoming delimitation exercise.
Puri dismissed the idea that states with higher birth rates would automatically benefit from the process, asserting that India’s governance system was mature and democratic.
“It doesn’t work like that; those states who produce more kids will benefit more during delimitation. We are not only the world’s largest democracy but also the world’s most mature governance system,” Puri said while interacting with women journalists on the eve of International Women’s Day, according to the news agency ANI.
His remarks come in response to Stalin’s remark on Monday, where he urged Tamil Nadu’s residents to reconsider family planning norms, citing concerns that the proposed delimitation exercise could reduce the state’s political representation.
Speaking at a wedding ceremony, Stalin said, “Before, we used to say don’t give birth to a child immediately, no need to rush. But now, it is not necessary, we shouldn’t say that also… because it is being said that the number of MPs would be decided based on population. The situation created is more population, more MPs. But we have achieved success by focusing on family planning. Now I won’t say don’t rush to give birth to a child; give birth to a child immediately.”
Stalin’s comments were based on the growing political debate over the Centre’s plans for delimitation, a constitutional process that redraws parliamentary and assembly constituencies to reflect population changes.
The exercise, governed by Articles 82 and 170 of the Indian Constitution, is intended to ensure fair representation, but Stalin and other southern leaders argue it could disproportionately favour states with higher population growth, reducing seats for states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully controlled their population through family planning policies.
He has also written to several chief ministers and former chief ministers, warning that delimitation could “diminish the influence of states like Tamil Nadu, which have successfully controlled their population, in shaping the nation’s future.”
In his letter, Stalin called the Centre’s plan “a blatant assault on federalism” and accused it of punishing well-governed states. He also criticised the Union government for failing to provide clarity on the methodology behind the proposed changes, questioning whether the calculation of seats would truly be fair. “When the very foundation of our democracy is at stake, can we accept such vague assurances? When our states’ future hangs in the balance, do we not deserve transparent dialogue?” he asked.
The delimitation exercise, originally anticipated after the 2031 Census, could now take place earlier due to delays in the 2021 Census.
If implemented as per the next Census data, southern states fear they will lose parliamentary seats, while states with higher birth rates could gain more representation in the Lok Sabha.
Stalin has proposed a Joint Action Committee with representatives from affected states to develop a collective strategy and ensure that delimitation does not penalise states that have successfully implemented population control.