'Won't allow our voices to be diluted': D K Shivakumar says Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are together in fight against delimitation

Chennai: Asserting that southern states won’t allow their voices to be “diluted”, resources “looted”, and cultures “erased”, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday said Karnataka will join hands with all progressive states to fight in the “courts, in Parliament, and on the streets” to protect their political representation which is threatened by delimitation.

In his speech at the JAC meeting here, Shivakumar also made it clear that issues between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, in a veiled reference to Mekedatu and Cauvery, won’t come in the way of the two states fighting for their just rights and prevent from being penalised by the Union Government for implementing well the national goal of population control.

As the Tamil Nadu BJP announced it will show black flags to protest his visit to the state, Shivakumar, at a press conference, took a dig at the saffron party, saying “I was waiting to see black flags, but I didn’t see one.”

“They (BJP) are against Tamil Nadu. They want Tamil Nadu’s growth to be curbed. They haven’t won (LS) seats and they won’t win also…this officer (TN BJP chief K Annamalai) is from our state. He has served us. He knows our strength. I wish him all the best,” he added.

To another question, he said construction of a reservoir in Mekedatu across River Cauvery will benefit Tamil Nadu more than it does to Karnataka.

He said Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and all progressive states will not be silenced by the Centre and advocated for channelising the defiance of Periyar, the statesmanship of C N Annadurai, and the fire of Basavanna.

“Remember, when Karnataka and Tamil Nadu stand together, no power can break us. When Kerala and Punjab raise their voices, the Himalayas will tremble,” he added in his speech while demanding that the 1971 Census remain the basis for delimitation, as it rewards states for their efforts in population control and sustainable development.

Shivakumar contended that delimitation based solely on population will be a “political assault” on the southern states as it seeks to punish them for their success in controlling population growth, improving literacy, and empowering women.

These states prioritised education, and healthcare, improving their economies rapidly that together they contribute to 36 per cent of India’s GDP but yet the Union Government, he alleged, plans to reduce their representation which amounts to silencing their voice nationally.

“This is not just unfair—it is a betrayal of the constitutional promise that development and good governance should be rewarded, not penalized,” he said.

Drawing attention to “economic injustice” that the Union Government has rendered to Karnataka, Shivakumar said the state contributes over Rs 4 lakh crore annually to the Centre’s gross tax revenue but what it gets in return is a mere Rs 45,000 crore in tax devolution and Rs 15,000 crore in grants.

“For every rupee Karnataka contributes, only 13 paise comes back to us. This is not just an economic injustice; it is a systemic plunder of our resources…Southern states, contributing 35 per cent of India’s GDP, are treated as ATM machines for the North,” he added.

Maintaining that the fight over Delimitation was not just about numbers, Shivakumar said the struggle was about the distinct identities, cultures, and heritage of the southern states. 

“Karnataka takes pride in its 1,500-year-old literary tradition, from the Vachanas of Basavanna to the works of Kuvempu. Tamil Nadu’s Sangam poetry, Kerala’s classical art forms, and Andhra’s Telugu heritage are not just regional treasures—they are the soul of India,” he added.

Emphasizing that Delimitation was not a ‘South versus North’ fight, the deputy CM pushed for a weighted formula that includes tax contributions, strengthening Rajya Sabha as a counterbalance to the Lok Sabha, a new fiscal federalism pact that ensures fair tax, and the formation of a National Commission to enforce equality of all scheduled languages.

He also spoke against the Centre’s relentless push for “One Nation, One Language” seeks to erase diversity from India, saying Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and other regional languages are not mere dialects, but the lifeblood of their respective civilizations.