New Delhi [India], March 22 (ANI): BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal on Saturday criticised the opposition, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DM leader MK Stalin and accused them of using the issue of delimitation to further their political interests.

BJP MP Khandelwal dismissed concerns raised by opposition leaders and said that the delimitation was being 'unnecessarily' made into an issue because their (opposition) political ground is slipping.

He further alleged that certain elements within the country were unwilling to acknowledge India's progress over the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

'All the politicians of South India, including MK Stalin, are making delimitation an issue to make their politics shine. Delimitation happens through a process. There will be a census before it happens. A commission will be formed for delimitation to decide the criteria for delimitation,' said Khandelwal.

He further stated, 'They (South Indian politicians) are unnecessarily making this an issue because their political ground is slipping. There are some forces in the country who are unable to digest our country's prosperity and development in the last 10 years under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi.'

CPI (M) leader Hannan Mollah also responded to the Joint Action Committee meeting on delimitation and said, 'The current scenario was not perceived when delimitation was thought of. Today, the population is decreasing in the South and increasing in the North. That is why delimitation should be reconsidered. Otherwise, it could be dangerous for our democracy.'

Earlier in the day, BJP leader Ramchander Rao termed the first Joint Action Committee meeting on delimitation called by Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin a 'divisive agenda of INDI alliance.'

'DMK's invitation to four CMs and other political parties to discuss the delimitation issue is nothing but a divisive agenda of the INDI alliance...' Rao told ANI.

Rao further hit out at Tamil Nadu CM Stalin and said that he is raising the issue of delimitation to cover up his corruption. Rao accused Stalin of attempting to divide the country in the name of north and south.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Congress President Selvaperunthagai called the first meeting of the JAC a 'historic' meeting.

'This meeting is historic. CM MK Stalin organised this meeting. We welcome it. Telangana CM Revanth Reddy and Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar are participating...This meeting will speak for another 100 years - protection of the people of Tamil Nadu and those in south India. This meeting will create some impact, it will give a lot of questions to the Centre,' he said.

Speaking on BJP's 'black flag protest' against Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Selvaperunthagai stated, 'When anything good is about to happen to Tamil Nadu, immediately the BJP leaders will bring a black flag. Why not against Dharmendra Pradhan? Why not against Nirmala Sitharaman?'

During the first meeting of the Joint Action Committee, called in Chennai on Saturday, Tamil Nadu CM Stalin proposed to form a legal expert committee on the delimitation issue while stressing the need for a 'fair delimitation'.

The meeting was attended by various political leaders, including Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, and Biju Janata Dal leader Sanjay Kumar Das Burma, among others.

The MK Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has locked horns with the Central government over the three-language formula proposed in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the delimitation exercise. (ANI)