TIRUNELVELI: Assembly Speaker M Appavu has said live telecasting of house sessions, as promised by the DMK in its electoral manifesto, will be possible only after ensuring that MLAs refrain from using unparliamentary language.
“We need to train the members in this regard,” Appavu said when asked why the DMK had not yet fulfilled its promise. He was speaking after inaugurating a district-level athletic competition organised by the school education department on Tuesday.
Appavu said if MLAs used improper language during live streaming, it could cause unnecessary controversy. “At present we are broadcasting the question hour, announcements being made by Chief Minister M K Stalin under Rule 110, responses from ministers and some key proceedings. The previous AIADMK government also did not telecast Assembly sessions live,” he said.
Responding to former AIADMK minister Natham Viswanathan’s accusation that he was behaving like a dictator, Appavu said the AIADMK leader should make such claims only if he had evidence.
“For the first time in decades, Assembly proceedings are being conducted in a fully democratic manner. Opposition members are given more time to speak than ruling party members. In fact, the leader of the opposition was allowed to speak for over three hours during one session. Despite this, opposition members frequently stage walkouts,” Appavu said.