Ranipet (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 16 (ANI): In protest against the proposed constituency delimitation bill to be introduced by the Central Government, Tamil Nadu Handlooms and Textiles Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) candidate R Gandhi on Thursday staged a silent demonstration by hoisting a black flag in front of his residence in Ranipet.

The bill has drawn strong opposition from the DMK leadership and is expected to be taken up during the ongoing special session of Parliament beginning today, April 16.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin has also repeatedly expressed concerns over the proposed delimitation exercise and has instructed party members to register their dissent.

The protests have intensified across the Ranipet district. In areas such as Arcot, Ranipet, and Walajapet, party members and members of the public have been staging silent demonstrations by hoisting black flags in front of their homes, condemning the Centre's move.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin burned a copy of the proposed delimitation bill, whose implementation is tied to a population-based revision of constituencies based on the 2011 census.

Stalin also raised a black flag to kick off statewide anti-delimitation agitation.

'Delimitation: May the resistance spread across Tamil Nadu. May the arrogance of the fascist BJP collapse. Back then, the fire of resistance against Hindi that ignited in Tamil Nadu scorched Delhi. Our fire subsided only after Delhi yielded. Today, I have ignited another fire by burning a copy of the black law that turns Tamils into refugees in their own land. This fire too will spread across the Dravidian land. It will subdue the BJP's arrogance,' Stalin posted on X.

The opposition to the proposed delimitation bill has been mounting for a long time and has escalated after the Centre's recent approval of draft amendment bills to operationalise the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023.

DMK workers and supporters also staged a protest in the Karumandapam area of Tiruchirappalli on Thursday, holding black flags to oppose the Centre's proposed delimitation exercise.

Black flags have also been put up at the residence of Tamil Nadu Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi in Tiruchirappalli's Thennur to register his protest against the bill.

This comes after Stalin called for a statewide display of black flags, urging people to unite in what he described as a collective struggle for the rights of Tamil Nadu against the proposed delimitation bill.

The central government is planning to implement the women's reservation ahead of the 2029 General Elections by bringing in an amendment to the 2023 Act and a constitutional amendment to delink the delimitation process from the 2027 census.

The government has proposed to increase the number of seats in the House to 850, with 815 seats proposed for the States and the remaining 35 for the Union Territories. The Lok Sabha has 543 seats at present.

The Centre has called a special sitting of Parliament from April 16 to 18. (ANI)