AIADMK legislators stage dharna near Speaker’s chair, evicted

Edappadi K. Palaniswami objected to Congress leader Selvaperunthagai’s remarks and demanded that he be allowed to speak

The AIADMK legislators were en masse evicted from the Assembly on Wednesday after they staged a dharna near the Speaker’s chair seeking to expunge some remarks made by Congress floor leader K. Selvaperunthagai.

In his speech during the discussion on the Thanjavur electrocution in which 11 people were killed, Mr. Selvaperunthagai referred to the loss of lives of over 40 people in a stampede during the Mahamaham festival in Kumbakonam in February 1992 attended by then Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and her aide. The Congress MLA also quoted from former Chief Minister’s statements in the Assembly over the stampede

The AIADMK members were not present when Mr. Selvaperunthagai made the remarks, as they had staged a walkout of the House. On their return, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami objected to the Congress MLA’s remarks and attempted to speak in this regard.

However, the Chair maintained that he had granted time for the AIADMK to speak and it chose to speak and also staged a walkout. The Speaker also said he would grant an opportunity to the AIADMK leader once members of all political parties completed their speech on the special call attention motion moved by them over the Kalimedu incident on Wednesday.

As the AIADMK members grew impatient, Leader of the House Duraimurugan intervened to say that their leader would be granted time to express his opinion. However, the AIADMK legislators objected when Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekar Babu intervened to say that people were still fighting for their lives in Kalimedu accident and that it was no time for playing politics over such incident.

Mr. Palaniswami led his party members to stage a dharna in front of the Speaker’s chair, even as the latter urged them to return to their respective seats. As the AIADMK members took to sloganeering, the Chair repeatedly asked them to return to their seats but in vain.

After warnings of eviction, Mr. Appavu eventually ordered the House marshals to evict the AIADMK members. As they were being evicted, AIADMK MLA K.P. Munusamy was seen making some remarks to the Chair and the Speaker said he cannot speak in a threatening tone.