CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded that the population reference be frozen as per the 1971 Census and that additional Lok Sabha seats be allocated based on the national population growth rate across all states. This, they argued, would ensure that states that contributed to population control efforts are not disadvantaged.
Speaking at the Convention on Federalism and Delimitation, hosted by Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin in Chennai, SAD working president Balwinder Singh Bhundar also advocated for equal representation of states in the Rajya Sabha, emphasising its role as the voice of states in the federal structure.
Accompanied by senior leader Daljit Singh Cheema, Bhundar stressed that states successfully implementing population control measures, in line with the National Population Policy, should be rewarded rather than penalised. “Punjab, like the southern states, has maintained population control, with its population now below the replacement level. Such states should not be disadvantaged,” he asserted.
Bhundar also referenced the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, reaffirmed at the Akali Conference in Ludhiana in 1978, which called for redefining Centre-State relations based on genuine federal principles. He highlighted how excessive centralisation, especially during the Emergency, underscored the need for decentralisation. He called for restructuring the constitutional framework to reflect true federalism—preserving India’s unity while empowering states for regional development.
He further noted that former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, in his proposal to the National Commission, advocated reforming the role of Governors to align with a federal structure, deleting Article 356, which allows the Centre to dissolve state governments and allowing states to draft their development plans based on local needs and priorities.
On linguistic rights, Bhundar reaffirmed SAD’s stand that the Union govt should not impose any language on states and that each state should have full autonomy in deciding the medium of instruction in schools and colleges.
SAD extended its wholehearted support to these issues and urged like-minded parties to unite to achieve these objectives. The party also expressed gratitude to Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin for organising this convention, emphasising that SAD has consistently championed state autonomy through resolutions at Batala, Anandpur Sahib, and Ludhiana. The leaders highlighted the contributions of Parkash Singh Badal and M Karunanidhi, who long advocated for greater devolution of powers to states.