BJP can bifurcate Tamil Nadu if it wants to: Party leader Nagendran

Responding to DMK MP A Raja’s statement that the Union Government should not push them towards the demand for a “separate nation”, BJP floor leader in the Assembly, Nainar Nagendran, on Tuesday said he wants Tamil Nadu to be bifurcated and made into two states.

Nagendran, MLA from Tirunelveli, also said the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi can “bifurcate Tamil Nadu” as “we are the deciding authority.” He made the controversial remarks at a day-long fast organised by the BJP across Tamil Nadu demanding that the ruling DMK fulfill the promises made during the 2021 assembly election campaign.

“Raja says he wants a separate Tamil Nadu. When Raja has such desire, do you think Nainar Nagendran won’t have any desire? I will say let us split Tamil Nadu into two states. South (TN) and North (TN) and both will have 117 seats each. We will have two chief ministers, they will either be from the BJP or from our coalition partner,” Nagendran said.

“Don’t think we cannot do it (bifurcate the state). We are in a position to do such things. It (bifurcation) can happen if Modi ji wants,” he added.

Nagendran’s comments came in response to Raja’s statement asking the Centre to grant autonomy to states. “I appeal to (Home Minister) Amit Shah and Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) not to push us to the path followed by (E V R) Periyar. Don’t push us to demand for a separate nation. Please grant us state autonomy,” Raja had said on Sunday.

DMK condemned Nagendran’s statement saying they “reflected the arrogance of the BJP.” This is not the first time that Nagendran has stoked a controversy on bifurcation of Tamil Nadu – Responding to the same issue, he had in July 2021 said it was the duty of the Union Government to fulfill expectations of the people.

He made the remarks amid the controversy over BJP mentioning that L Murugan, Union Minister of State, hailed from Kongu Nadu, in the bi-data released during his swearing-in in July 2021.

The Kongu region comprises seven districts, and the AIADMK-PMK-BJP jointly won 33 of the total 50 seats in the region, while the DMK alliance almost every other region of the state.