Budget Session Phase 2 Begins: Key Debates on Delimitation, Three-Language Policy, and Voter ID Issue

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The second phase of the Budget session in Parliament kicks off today, March 10, with four major issues expected to dominate discussions. These include Donald Trump's tariff policies, the issue of duplicate voter IDs, the controversial three-language policy, and the delimitation process. South Indian states are particularly uniting against the proposed delimitation and three-language policy. Tamil Nadu's Chief Minister MK Stalin has expressed readiness to collaborate with the Congress-led India Group to protect the state's interests.

The debate also extends to the ongoing violence in Manipur, despite the imposition of President's rule, and the controversial Wakf Amendment Bill, which the central government is eager to pass. The issue of the state budget, including Manipur's budget, is also set to be discussed. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to present Manipur’s budget on Monday.

In a meeting on Sunday, DMK MPs passed a resolution to join forces with other affected states to oppose the delimitation exercise, which could reduce Tamil Nadu’s representation in Parliament. The proposed changes could see a reduction of seats in southern states, including a loss of eight seats in Tamil Nadu. The meeting also strongly opposed the imposition of Hindi and the National Education Policy (NEP), demanding fair funding for Tamil Nadu.

Stalin emphasized that Tamil Nadu would work closely with the India Group and democratic forces to safeguard its rights in delimitation and oppose the Hindi imposition, reaffirming their commitment to protecting the state’s parliamentary representation.