TIRUNELVELI: A day after the SC stayed the conviction of Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy in a disproportionate assets case, Assembly Speaker M Appavu said akin to Rahul Gandhi and Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal — both of whom were reinstated after the SC had stayed their conviction — Ponmudy will also be reinstated. He was addressing a press conference on Tuesday.
“When people’s representatives are convicted by a high court or a lower court, they are relieved from their posts in line with the Representation of the People Act, 1951. As per the Act, I relieved Ponmudy from his MLA post. However, he appealed in the apex court against his conviction, which was suspended. Hence, we will reinstate him like Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi and Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal were reinstated. I received the Supreme Court order and advised the Assembly’s principal secretary to take action as per the law,” he added.
Responding to Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi’s claim that the British had destroyed Indian culture, the speaker argued that the upper caste hegemony, under which only upper caste members could study, enter temples, and purchase land, was challenged in the British era. “Apart from Ravi, Union Minister Rajnath Singh made such a comment.
Even though the missionaries had come to India for religious preaching, they educated people for free. This is the reason behind high literacy rates in Tirunelveli and Kanniyakumari districts, where 80% of the educational institutions are run by missionaries, while the rest 20% are run by the state government,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Appavu inaugurated a seven-day photo exhibition at the Tirunelveli junction Periyar bus stand to throw light on the major achievements of Chief Minister MK Stalin in the presence of Tirunelveli MP S Gnanathiraviam and Collector KP Karthikeyan.