DMK to move privilege motion against speaker for locking the MLAs out of assembly premises

DMK will move a privilege motion against Tamil Nadu assembly speaker Dhanpal for locking out the party members for locking them out of even the offices of leader of opposition and deputy leader of opposition, located inside the assembly premises. On Thursday morning, when the suspended MLAs were not allowed inside the assembly premises, the DMK members led by MK Stalin staged a sit in in front of Gate N0 4 of the assembly.

The speaker had also rejected a request from the Congress, the IUML and DMK members (the eight who were not suspended) for reconsideration and revoking the suspension order. The DMK MLAs who came out of the assembly came out, reported the proceedings to Stalin, and joined the sit in.

It is for the first time that any opposition party held this type of protest, sending out live pictures of how the MLAs are treated to the world outside Tamil Nadu through live television coverage.

Stalin was also not allowed to visit his own office room as was Durai Murugan similarly prevented by the watch and ward staff of the assembly as per speaker’s orders.

Stalin told media persons that “we are not allowed to be seen anywhere inside the assembly premises. The room allotted to the leader of opposition is blocked and I cannot even enter.”

The Gate No 4, for use by opposition MLAs, has also been locked, Stalin said.

The AIADMK and its leader Jayalalithaa are behaving in a dictatorial manner, Stalin alleged and said if there was live telecast of proceedings, then the people will realize that “we have been punished illegally”.

“We have been demanding live telecast of assembly proceedings. But this has never been accepted by the AIADMK government, If there was live telecast of the assembly proceedings, people would have come to know who is in the wrong, the DMK or the ruling benches,’ Stalin said.

Senior DMK leader Durai Murugan questioned the speaker’s decision to keep the MLAs out of the assembly premises and said that his writ does not run there. The speaker has acted without having any knowledge of his own powers, “ he alleged saying that he would move a privilege motion against the speaker.

AIADMK spokesperson CR Saraswathi dismissed DMK charges and said that the clippings shown on the televisions clearly showed the DMK members behavior. She also took the opportunity to make a swipe at DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi to say that he only came to sign the register and collect his salary.