DMK MLAs suspended for a week

It all started when AIADMK Tirupur (South) MLA S Gunasekaran participating in the debate for grants to the Housing and Urban Development and Information Technology ministries said “those who raised namakku naame chant (a programme launched by Stalin ahead of the May 16 Asse,bly elections) were unable to seize Fort St. George.” When deputy opposition leader Duraimurugan objected and wanted the portion to be expunged, Speaker Dhanapal said there was nothing objectionable as the member had not spoken in the singular nor had he referred to any specific person. 

Opposition leader MK Stalin ,intervening, called on his party MLAs to allow it as even Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had referred to it in her party general council meeting. “We are proud of it” he added. Immediately, Finance Minister O. Paneerselvam said references to the Chief Minister and general council should be expunged. When DMK members resisted this, speaker Dhanapal ordered the assembly marshalls to evict all DMK members for not allowing the august body to function normally. Dhanapal said he strongly condemned the move of DMK MLAs to obstruct the Assembly’s normal functioning. 

Taken by surprise at the Speaker’s eviction order, it took the marshalls a moment to swing into action. Stain, however, remained seated. He was lifted and carried out forcibly. Former DMK minister Thangam Thennarasu also suffered the same fate. When the marshalls moved towards Duraimurugan, the latter clutched his chest following which he was left alone. When women members stayed put, the marshalls told them to come out failing which they would also be taken out manually. Led by Geetha Jeevan the members then trooped out. The Speaker then adjourned the Assembly for the day. 

Meanwhile, explaining the rationale behind his decision to evict DMK members, Dhanapal said they had made it a “practice” to stall proceedings “right from day one” of the ongoing session and not allowing him run the House smoothly. “This was a situation where I had no other option,” he said. 

Later, speaking to reporters, Stalin said the comments by Gunasekaran were “unwarranted”. Though the Speaker had expunged some remarks made by him (Stalin), he had allowed the ruling party members’ words to stay on record despite a “humble” plea by Duraimurugan to remove them, he said.

Hours after DMK MLAs suspension, instances of DMK cadre burning in effigy of Speaker Dhanapal were reported across the State. Led by either respective constituency MLAs or district secretaries, cadre resorted to sloganeering against the Speaker. 

Expressing solidarity with its ally DMK, MMK president MH Jawahirullah issued a statement calling the suspension a “murder of democracy” and urged the Speaker to revoke it. TMC leader GK Vasan said the people of the state want democracy to be upheld inside the House. Vasan urged the Chair to give more chance to the Opposition in the House.