Kallakurichi hooch tragedy: AIADMK demands adjournment of House; stages walkout

Hooch tragedy echoes in Tamil Nadu Assembly as AIADMK stages walkout over discussion demand, Speaker rejects adjournment.

The hooch tragedy in Kallakurichi district echoed for the second day in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Saturday, June 22, 2024.

The AIADMK, the main Opposition party, led by former Chief Minister Edappai K. Palaniswami staged a walkout after Speaker M. Appavu rejected their demand to adjourn the Question Hour to discuss the issue. On Friday, AIADMK MLAs had been evicted from the House, after they staged a sit-in protest.

“You seem to be in some crisis. The House cannot allow you space for you to resolve your crisis,” Mr Appavu told AIADMK MLAs, who gathered in front of his seat and raised slogans.

The Speaker made it clear that Question Hour was meant to raise issues directly concerning the people and it could not be adjourned. “I am ready to allot as much time as required by you during the Zero Hour. You have been the Chief Minister of the State for four years and you know the rules. You cannot raise issues whenever you want to raise them,” he said, while pointing out that an adjournment was possible only if the Assembly rules were amended.

Mr. Appavu also accused the AIADMK members of coming to the House with the sole motive of creating trouble. “This is not acceptable. We have to maintain the decorum of the House. Your manner should be civil in the House. If you continue to create disturbances, I will take stringent action,” he warned.

Mr. Appavu also recalled the ruling of the Speaker in 2016 when DMK members had made a demand to adjourn the House. “The Speaker made it clear even then that the issue could be raised only after Question Hour,” he said.

Later talking to reporters outside the Assembly, Mr Palaniswami said the his party made a demand to adjourn the House because the hooch tragedy was a life and death issue.