Party viewing with concern proposed “RSS design” that all the States and districts should be dispensed with and the country should be divided into 200 ‘janpaths’, says DMK president

As the country is preparing to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the Indian Constitution, DMK president M.K. Stalin on November 10 said his party would not allow any attempt to tamper with the basic structure of the Indian Constitution.

In a special resolution moved in the DMK’s general council meeting, he recalled the submission made by the DMK government to the Justice Rajamannar Committee that except national security, foreign affairs, inter-State transport and currency all other powers should be with the State governments.

He said the DMK was viewing with great concern the 18 powers vested with the States and the proposed “design of the RSS” that all the States and districts should be dispensed with and the country should be divided into 200 ‘janpaths’. “The DMK strongly opposes it and urges the Centre to give up any such plans,” he said.

End the “big brother attitude”

The DMK in a resolution also demanded official language status for all the 22 languages listed in the 8th Schedule and proportional representation to political parties based on the votes polled by them in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.

“All the residual powers are with the Centre. It should be changed to pave the way for State governments to enact laws,” he said.

Mr. Stalin also demanded adequate powers for the State governments on subjects such as finance, education, subsidies and loans and an end to the “big brother attitude” of the Centre.

He also condemned the introduction of economic criteria for reservation, saying that it had diluted the reservation policy guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.