CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar has informed the Madras High Court that the resignations of dissident AIADMK MLAs were accepted and notified only after he was satisfied about their “genuineness and voluntariness” through a “limited inquiry”.
Prabhakar filed an affidavit before a bench comprising Chief Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan on Monday. The bench is hearing petitions filed by AIADMK Whip Agri SS Krishnamurthy challenging the acceptance of the resignations while disqualification proceedings were pending.
Senior counsel KK Venugopal, appearing for the Speaker, said the affidavit was filed after the petitioner’s counsel raised the issue of the Speaker’s non-appearance.
Prabhakar said, “I was satisfied that the resignations were genuine since upon questioning, they categorically stated their resignation letters were in their own handwriting.”
He said the conduct and demeanour of the MLAs did not suggest that they were being coerced or forced to resign.
The Speaker said he had conducted a “limited inquiry” into the genuineness and voluntariness of the resignations and found that the MLAs appeared to be speaking the truth and were not under pressure from those present when they submitted the resignations.
“In these circumstances, there was no further inquiry necessary in my view. Therefore, after being duly satisfied with the voluntary and genuine nature of the resignations, I had decided to accept them,” he added.
Prabhakar said he was guided by the proviso to Article 190 (3) (b) of the Constitution and Rule 22 of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules.
Senior counsels V Giri and SR Rajagopal appeared for Agri Krishnamurthy. During the previous hearing, Giri questioned the legality of the Speaker’s non-appearance despite being served notice and said the Speaker should “submit” to the court’s jurisdiction.
In his affidavit, Prabhakar said he had authorised the Assembly Secretary to file the counter-affidavit as she is the administrative head of the Assembly Secretariat, which notified the resignations.
Seeking the court to reject the petitioner’s submissions on his non-appearance, Prabhakar said he had “highest regard and respect” for the judicial process and had no “intent to abstain” from the proceedings.
He also said “there was no disrespectful intent” in filing the counter-affidavit through the Secretary, who was competent to do so.
Giri sought the court’s decision on whether the Speaker should now be permitted to appear and file the affidavit after his non-appearance had been raised before the court.
The bench adjourned the hearing to September 1, 2026.