Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), April 19 (IANS) Anbumani Ramadoss, president of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and its allies, accusing them of defeating what he termed the “Women’s Reservation Bill” in Parliament, and calling it the “biggest betrayal to women.”

Addressing a press conference, Anbumani referred to the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill in Parliament on April 17. The proposed legislation, linked to the delimitation exercise, was aimed at redistributing Lok Sabha seats based on the 2011 Census, which he claimed would have facilitated the implementation of women’s reservation.

Alleging that the DMK was responsible for blocking the Bill, he said women in Tamil Nadu would “never forgive” the party, likening the move to “female foeticide.” He also criticised Chief Minister M. K. Stalin for burning a copy of the Bill in protest, and demanded legal action against him.

Anbumani argued that, had the Bill been passed, Tamil Nadu could have had significantly higher representation for women in the legislature. He claimed that by 2031, the State might have seen around 20 women Members of Parliament out of 59 seats and as many as 117 women MLAs.

Questioning the DMK’s stand, he asked why the Chief Minister opposed increasing the number of parliamentary constituencies by 50% across the country. Citing statements by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, the PMK leader asserted that Tamil Nadu would benefit from an increase in Lok Sabha seats, similar to northern States such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

He further alleged that while women faced safety concerns in Tamil Nadu, the DMK was simultaneously opposing measures to enhance their political representation. Anbumani also accused the Chief Minister of resorting to personal attacks against him and Edappadi K. Palaniswami instead of highlighting governance achievements.

Referring to political developments, he said the late Vijayakanth had launched the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) to counter the DMK, and welcomed recent criticism of the government by party leader Premalatha Vijayakanth.

On actor-politician Vijay, who heads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), Anbumani said the party might secure a notable vote share but was unlikely to win seats. He appealed to Vijay’s supporters not to “waste” their votes and instead back the AIADMK-led alliance to defeat the DMK.

–IANS

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