Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin said on Tuesday that the state would witness large-scale protests if the proposed delimitation exercise harmed southern states’ representation, ahead of a special parliamentary session scheduled later this week.In a video message, he warned that Tamil Nadu would not stay silent if its interests suffered, with people across the state taking to the streets and potentially halting normal life. He urged the Centre not to assume state leaders would be too preoccupied with elections to respond.Stalin questioned the timing of the April 16 special session, noting it had been called without details on delimitation’s implementation. No clear explanation had come from the Centre, he said, fuelling concerns in southern states. Requests for a meeting with the Prime Minister had also gone unanswered.He highlighted how Tamil Nadu had embraced the Centre’s population control measures, asking if compliant states now faced reduced representation. Stalin cited worries from opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, and noted the Union Government’s lack of reply.State rights and federal balance outweighed electoral matters, he argued, vowing Tamil Nadu’s opposition to any detrimental move.Responding to the remarks, BJP leader K Annamalai said the Chief Minister’s statement was not justified and alleged that it could create concern among the public. He said the Union government was committed to taking all stakeholders along in the process.Annamalai clarified that the Centre had not tied delimitation solely to population; any representational increases would be proportional, ensuring no state suffered.Union Minister Raksha Khadse described the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023, as a vital step to boost women’s legislative representation and decision-making roles. The Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports said the government is moving towards early implementation of the Act, for which a special session of Parliament will be convened from April 16 to 18.“This is one of the most historic decisions in India’s democracy, taken under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi and the government, as a decisive step for all women in the country,” she said.