Backing delimitation betrays Tamil Nadu, says Rahul Gandhi

Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition in India's Lok Sabha, has strongly condemned the central government's proposed delimitation exercise, calling it a "conspiracy" aimed at diminishing Tamil Nadu's political power and influence.

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Anybody who backs delimitation is betraying Tamil Nadu and is allowing RSS and the BJP to attack the people of Tamil Nadu.

Speaking to reporters in Mamallapuram, Gandhi urged all political parties in Tamil Nadu to unite and oppose the delimitation bill in Parliament. He warned that any support for the proposal would amount to "betraying Tamil Nadu" and allowing the ruling BJP and its ideological parent, the RSS, to undermine the state's standing.

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It is a very important issue for the future of the Tamil people, the Tamil language and the state of Tamil Nadu. BJP is attempting to carry out delimitation, which is designed to disenfranchise and take away power from the Tamil people. This is a BJP conspiracy.

"Anybody who supports delimitation is a 21st-century Ettappan," Gandhi declared, referencing an 18th-century Tamil ruler who allegedly aided the British against a local freedom fighter. He stressed the importance of the issue for the "Tamil people, the Tamil language and the state of Tamil Nadu."

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Anybody who supports delimitation is a 21st-century Ettappan.

Earlier the same day, Gandhi met with families of students who died by suicide over issues related to the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET). He expressed deep pain over their loss and criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not meeting with grieving parents or students affected by exam irregularities. Gandhi asserted that students "are owed his apology" rather than needing his forgiveness.

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Nothing is more painful than seeing a parent grieve for their child. Behind every young life lost is a family carrying pain that will never leave them, and serious questions about a broken education system.