High drama erupted in the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday when leader of the opposition MK Stalin and 88 other DMK MLAs were suspended from the Tamil Nadu assembly.
Finance Minister O Panneerselvam sought the suspension of all the DMK MLAs alleging that they were disrupting the proceedings of the House following which, speaker of the House Dhanapal suspended the 88 MLAs for a week.
The party alleged biased action by the Speaker who ordered the eviction of the DMK members and accused Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa of creating conditions similar to the Emergency of the 70s.
“Opposition members need to be treated with respect and decorum, these are people’s elected representatives,” said DMK spokesperson Manu Raj Sundaram.
It all started when Gunasekaran said ‘those who have shouted “Namakku Namey” could not catch power’, drawing quick opposition from the DMK members who were on their feet demanding the expunction of the remark.
Stalin as well as deputy floor leader Durai Murugan were not in the house when the MLA mocked Stalin and DMK MLAs were on their feet. The Speaker justified the remarks stating that the MLA did not name any particular person, but DMK MLAs, and Stalin who in the house by then, demanded that the speaker expunge the remarks.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, who was in her chambers at the secretariat, did not attend the assembly session. Later, speaking to mediapersons, Stalin accused the speaker and leader of the house O Panneerselvam of “conspiring” to ensure DMK MLAs were not present when the demands for home department, which is under Jayalalithaa, is moved on August 22.
