CHENNAI: The resolution moved by the AIADMK seeking to remove Assembly Speaker M Appavu from his post was defeated by a margin of 91 votes on Monday. A total of 154 MLAs belonging to the DMK and parties allied to it voted against the resolution, while 63 MLAs belonging to the AIADMK — including Puratchi Bharatham leader Poovai M Jeganmoorthy who was elected under the AIADMK symbol — supported it.
The MLAs belonging to PMK and the BJP were absent during the discussion on the resolution as well as during the division of votes.
As the resolution sought his removal, Appavu handed over the responsibility of conducting the proceedings of the House to Deputy Speaker K Pitchandi. After the discussion, the deputy speaker put the resolution to voice vote twice and announced that it had been defeated.
Since AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami demanded a division of votes on the resolution, Pitchandi ordered the closure of all entrances to the House. At the end of division of votes, the deputy speaker announced the resolution had been defeated.
Three AIADMK MLAs, including former speaker P Dhanapal, were absent on Monday. Similarly, three DMK MLAs, including Minister R Gandhi, were also absent. Former chief minister O Panneerselvam and his supporters — R Vaithilingam, Manoj Pandian and P Ayyappan — also supported the resolution against the speaker.
Panneerselvam later told reporters that he continues to be an AIADMK MLA and so supported the resolution. K A Sengottaiyan, one of the 16 AIADMK MLAs who had sought the speaker’s removal in January, also voted in favour. His stance was under close observation following his recent differences with Palaniswami.
Speaking on the resolution, Palaniswami recalled numerous instances where he alleged that the speaker had acted in a partial manner, in favour of the ruling DMK members.
‘Always been impartial in discharging duties as the speaker’
Pointing out that AIADMK leaders used to demand longer sessions during the meetings of the business advisory committee, Palaniswami said, “And yet the Speaker is conducting shorter sessions as intended by the ruling party. As per the DMK’s electoral promise, in the past four years, the House should have been convened for 400 days. But it has met for only 116 days.”
Palaniswami also reiterated his charge that, during the live telecast, speeches of opposition MLAs were blocked and views expressed by him during zero hour were cut out. He recalled that the leader of the principal opposition party should be appointed as the chairman of the public accounts committee (PAC) of the House. However, in the past four years, the leader of a party allied to the DMK has remained the PAC chairman, he pointed out.
Stating that he had no personal animosity against the speaker, Palaniswami said that after assuming such a post, it would not be fitting for Appavu to function like a ruling party member.
“The speaker has failed to uphold the dignity expected from his post. This is our charge. The AIADMK has moved a resolution to remove the current speaker since there is a need for someone who protects the dignity, integrity and independence of all members impartially,” he said.
“When we raise people’s issues in the House, we face interruptions from the chair and also the speaker himself responds to the queries instead of getting answers from the ministers,” Palaniswami added.
Countering these allegations, CM Stalin recalled many occasions where he said Appavu had acted impartially and provided opportunities to opposition members generously. Leaders of the DMK alliance parties also opposed the resolution and hailed the speaker’s functioning in the House.
“Those who cannot find fault with the DMK government and those who attempted to divert attention away from their intra-party issues, moved a no-confidence motion against the speaker. But the House has rejected it since the speaker is impartially conducting the House unlike the situation during the previous regime,” the CM said in a post on X.
Resuming his Chair, Speaker M Appavu said he was happier on this day than when he was first elected to the post. He also detailed how he had always been impartial in discharging his duties. Appavu further indicated that the CM never interfered in his functioning as the speaker.
Referring to Palaniswami’s charge that demands concerning multiple departments were taken up in a single day, the speaker said that during the AIADMK regime, on July 31, 2004, demands for grants for as many as 24 departments were passed in a single day.