Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief Raj Thackeray on Friday launched a frontal attack on the Central government, accusing it of using constitutional amendments as a tool to establish a “perpetual hold on power”.

In a two-page statement, Thackeray clarified that the MNS does not oppose the Women’s Reservation Bill — noting that Maharashtra was a pioneer in local body reservations for women.

He however, raised sharp questions regarding the timing and the “sudden hurry” in notifying the Act while discussions were still ongoing.

He took objection to the proposed delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies based on population figures.

He said that Articles 81 and 82 of the Constitution would effectively penalise states like Maharashtra, Goa, and the Southern states that have successfully implemented population control measures.

“States which have diligently kept their populations under control through education and healthcare will be effectively penalised… while states that allowed their populations to grow unchecked will see their Parliamentary representation increase,” the MNS Chief said and asked “What kind of bizarre justice is this?”

Raj Thackeray also alleged that the restructuring of constituencies is a precursor to a forced “Hindi-isation” of non-Hindi speaking states.

He highlighted a growing concern regarding migration from three to four Northern states, claiming that these groups are carving out “vote banks” in states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Karnataka.

He warned that elected representatives from these regions lack genuine allegiance to their adopted states, focusing instead on their native regions, a trend he believes will eventually replicate across South India.

The MNS Chief highlighted the widening fiscal gap between contributing states and those receiving Central aid.

He provided a comparative breakdown of tax returns.

“Not only will we be denied our rightful share of tax revenue, but now the collective voice in Parliament of all five Southern states, including Maharashtra and Goa, is set to diminish,” Raj Thackeray said, calling the situation “intolerable”.

Accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of poaching MLAs and sowing discord within political families over the last decade, the MNS Chief warned that the move to “leave the country” via delimitation could have dire consequences.

He suggested that these measures would trigger demands for autonomy across various states and could potentially impact the country’s internal security and defence.

He urged the leaders in states like Gujarat not to remain complacent, warning that “nobody stays safe and secure in the trenches forever”.

–IANS

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