CHENNAI: All AIADMK MLAs were evicted en masse on Wednesday after they sat in front of the Speaker’s podium in Tamil Nadu Assembly and raised slogans demanding expunction of remarks made by Congress floor leader K Selvaperunthagai regarding Mahamaham festival stampede in 1992 and former CM J Jayalalithaa. This is the first eviction of opposition MLAs after the DMK government assumed office a year ago.
The Congress leader made the remark when AIADMK MLAs staged a walkout over the deaths in the Kalimedu accident. After they returned to the House, AIADMK members objected to the remarks and asked the Speaker to expunge them immediately.
Speaker M Appavu said he would give opportunity to Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami after other members complete their speech. But the former CM and his party colleagues wanted the remarks to be expunged first. Meanwhile, the HR&CE minister who was asked to speak by the Speaker, said some leaders were trying to politicize an accident in which the dead bodies were yet to be cremated and several victims were fighting for lives in hospital. Irked over the comment, Palaniswami and other AIADMK MLAs crowded near the Speaker’s chair and started raising slogans.
As the MLAs refused to heed to his request to return to their seats, Speaker Appavu ordered marshals to evict the MLAs. The Speaker later told the House that he ordered the eviction with a heavy heart and said he has been giving ample opportunity to opposition leaders to express their views.
Congress MLA S Vijayadharani asks Speaker to expunge colleague's remarks
Congress MLA from Vilancode S Vijayadharani on Wednesday surprised her own party colleagues when she sought expunction of certain remarks made by Congress floor leader K Selvaperunthagai during a debate on the Kalimedu electrocution deaths. She said certain remarks made by Selvaperunthagai should not be part of the House records and should be expunged. However, the Speaker expunged the remarks made by Vijayadharani.
After this, Vijayadharani was seen arguing with Selvaperunthagai in the House for a few minutes even as HR&CE Minister PK Sekar Babu was giving his reply to the Kalimedu accident issue.
Later, Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan said the present Speaker M Appavu was more magnanimous than his father PTR Palnivel Rajan (former Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Assembly) and requested Appavu to be 'less magnanimous to keep the members under control.