Tamil Nadu House pays homage to former President Pranab Mukherjee, DMK MLA Anbazhagan, Congress MP Vasanthakumar

Leader of the Opposition, MK Stalin said many NEET aspirants have died during the past few days and a condolence resolution should be adopted in the Assembly.
From L to R former President Pranab Mukherjee, DMK MLA J Anbazhagan, Congress MP H Vasanthakumar
From L to R former President Pranab Mukherjee, DMK MLA J Anbazhagan, Congress MP H Vasanthakumar

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Assembly’s first day proceedings of the monsoon session were adjourned today without transacting any business after paying homage to former President Pranab Mukherjee, Congress MP H Vasanthakumar, DMK MLA J Anbazhagan and those who have lost their lives due to Corona infection.  

When the House proceedings for the day started, Leader of the Opposition, MK Stalin said many NEET aspirants have died during the past few days and a condolence resolution should be adopted in the Assembly.  However, Speaker P Dhanapal did not accept that. 

The Speaker read out obituary references for 23 former MLAs including former Ministers A Rehman Khan and K Lawrence, trade union leader G Kalan and former BJP president KN Lakhshmanan and the members of the House observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for the departed souls. 

Later, the Speaker moved condolence resolutions for former President Pranab Mukherjee, Congress MP H Vasanthakumar, former DMK MLA J Anbazhagan, those who died of Corona infection including the frontline staff who were engaged in Corona prevention works.  

DMK MLAs wore face masks with the words : “Ban NEET; Save TN Students”. Of the 235 MLAs, around 20 MLAs were absent today due to various reasons and a few of them are being treated for Corona infection.  

Talking to reporters after the House was adjourned, Leader of the Opposition, MK Stalin charged that the ruling AIADMK had failed to exert sufficient pressure on the Centre to scrap NEET and the AIADMK government was staging a drama in this regard. 

He also said the DMK’s demand for holding the session for a longer duration to discuss the people’s issues was not accepted by the Speaker.  Stalin said the DMK would raise all key issues including National Education Policy, NEET, etc., 

The venue for Tamil Nadu Assembly session has been shifted after a gap of 10 years.  In 2010, the session was held in the New Assembly hall constructed in Omandurar government estate during the previous DMK regime.  However, after AIADMK came to power in 2011, the Assembly hall was shifted to Fort St George again.  Since the Assembly hall at Fort St George could not accommodate all members' physical distance to avoid Corona infection, the venue has now been shifted to Kalaivanar Arangam. 

The State Public Works Department has replicated everything in the Assembly hall in Fort St George at the Kalaivanar Arangam.   The century-old Speaker’s Chair donated by Lord Willingdon, Governor of Madras Presidency in 1922 which has been used by many Speakers has been brought to Kalaivanar Arangam  for this session.  However, the original portraits of the late leaders were not shifted. Instead, their replicas of the portraits have been placed in Kalaivanar Arangam. 

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