Members of the AIADMK, the main Opposition party in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, were suspended from attending the proceedings of the House for the rest of the session. The session comes to an end on June 29.
Speaker M. Appavu delivered the ruling suspending the AIADMK MLAs, after the leader of the House, T.N. Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan moved a resolution with regard to this, under 121 (20) of the Assembly rules.
Earlier, he had ordered the eviction of the AIADMK members led by former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, as they gathered in front of his chair and raised slogans immediately after the proceedings of the House began with the reading of a Thirukkural couplet by the Speaker.
This is the third time the AIADMK MLAs have been evicted from the House, following their protests over the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who was in the House, said that even though the government was ready to discuss the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, where the death toll has risen to 61, Mr. Palaniswami was not ready to participate in the debate. “Instead, he seems to be interested in leaving the House and addressing the media outside,” the Chief Minister said.
Mr. Duraimurugan alleged that the AIADMK was not ready for a debate since they were fully aware that the Chief Minister would tear them apart over hooch tragedies that took place during the AIADMK rule.
“What has happened in Kallakurichi is an unfortunate incident. The AIADMK should have the guts to speak in the House. But they are not ready to explain their reasons for being clad in black shirts. They just meet the reporters outside the Assembly and go home,” Mr Duraimurgan said.
Mr. Appavu said the AIADMK members had come to the House with the motive of creating trouble and were not interested in participating in any debates.
“AIADMK member Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy had given a notice to discuss the issue. They should allow me to speak on the issue, and if they are not convinced with my reply they can take a decision. But they are not ready to listen and by their behaviour, they have denigrated the decorum of the House,” Mr. Appavu said.
