CHENNAI: DMK working president MK Stalin on Tuesday announced that his party would boycott the proceedings of the ongoing Assembly session until the State government takes a firm step to close down the Sterlite plant permanently.
He said this while speaking on a call attention motion on this issue and led his party colleagues in a walk out. They did not return to the House to take part in the demands for grants for Forests and Information Technology Departments held later.
Reiterating that the inquiry commission into the police firing in Thoothukudi was an eyewash, Stalin said the Sterlite plant could be closed down permanently only by taking a policy decision by convening the State cabinet meeting. So, the G.O issued in this regard would not be useful. He said the Chief Minister should step down for failing to hold talks with the protesters in time and for the police firing.
TTV Dhinakaran, RK Nagar MLA said a CB CID inquiry into the police firing would not suffice and a CBI probe should be ordered. The inquiry commission should be headed by a sitting judge of Madras HC under the supervision of Chief Justice.
Speaker P Dhanapal expunged a couple of words used by Dhinakaran during his speech. Intervening, Minister for Electricity, P Thangamani charged that Dhinakaran’s speech was aimed at inciting protests at Thoothukudi which was limping back to normalcy.
Congress floor leader K R Ramasamy asked who had ordered the police firing and the government should come out with a categorical answer. Later, he led his colleagues in a walk out stating that sufficient opportunity was not given to them to counter the charges levelled by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.
SP Shanmuganathan (AIADMK), representing Srivaikuntam constituency in Thoothukudi district, expressed satisfaction over the steps taken by the government to bring back normalcy in Thoothukudi.