'Defeat delimitation in House': Rahul Gandhi's 'Ettappan' charge on Centre

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday described the proposed delimitation exercise as a “conspiracy” by the ruling BJP to “take away” Tamil Nadu’s political power.He also said that anyone supporting delimitation would be a “21st-century Ettappan” — a Tamil term for a traitor.“There is an attempt by the BJP to carry out delimitation. It is designed to disenfranchise people and take away the political power of the people of Tamil Nadu. This is a BJP conspiracy,” Rahul Gandhi told reporters in Tamil Nadu’s Mahabalipuram.“Anyone who supports delimitation is betraying Tamil Nadu, betraying the future of Tamil Nadu, and allowing the RSS and BJP to attack the people of Tamil Nadu and its future. Such a person is a 21st-century ‘Ettappan’,” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha added.Rahul Gandhi also appealed to the people of Tamil Nadu, the state’s political parties, and all national parties to “defeat” the proposal.“No Tamil person should support delimitation. Every Tamil person should oppose delimitation. Every Tamil party and every national party should defeat delimitation in the House,” the Wayanad MP said.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.