CHENNAI: Lashing out at the DMDK, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Wednesday charged the party members with having no moral authority to comment on law and order in the light of their own transgressions both inside and outside the Assembly. Her sharp rebuke resulted in the DMDK legislators being evicted for refusing to allow the business of the House to proceed.
Confrontation between the CM and the DMDK members emerged during the debate on the demand for grants of the Police and Fire & Rescue Departments, both portfolios held by Jayalalithaa. Her onslaught was triggered by a claim by DMDK’s Erode East MLA VC Chandhirakumar, who alleged that the law and order situation in the State had deteriorated.
Jayalalithaa intervened to give statistics to demonstrate that the situation had in fact witnessed improvement since 2011. The sting, however, came when she questioned the moral authority of the DMDK and its members to speak on the issue.
“Honourable member VC Chandhirakumar and other members of his party were suspended from the Assembly for a year by the House Privileges Committee for assaulting member K Tamil Azhagan while he was speaking, instead of democratically responding to his comments, on February 8, 2013. What moral authority do they have to comment on the law and order situation in the State when they have not upheld the dignity of this Assembly?” fumed Jayalalithaa, to loud protests from the DMDK benches.
DMDK legislators then disrupted the proceedings, demanding an opportunity to respond, and raised slogans when Speaker P Dhanapal refused. He then ordered the Marshals to evict the DMDK members, in order to continue with the business.