DMK stages walkout; Jaya slams Karuna for not coming to House 

Chennai: DMK MLAs on Monday staged a walkout from the Assembly after Speaker P Dhanapal refused to revoke the suspension of 79 of their colleagues even as Chief Minister Jayalalithaa targeted the main Opposition party and its chief Karunanidhi for not participating in proceedings.

Soon after the House assembled, eight of the ten non-suspended DMK members, including former Ministers I Peraisamy, K N Nehru and Poongothai Aladi Aruna urged Speaker Dhanapal to reconsider his ruling suspending 79 of their colleagues for a week.

The allies of the DMK, Congress and IUML members also made a similar plea. Dhanapal, however, said DMK members were criticising him outside the Assembly and urging revocation inside. He said he was constrained to take such an action, adding there was no question of reconsidering it.

Following this, DMK, Congress and IUML members staged a walkout, leaving the opposition benches empty. Jayalalithaa, soon after they trooped out, in her reply to the demand for grants for police, fire and prison departments referred to the claims of DMK (outside the House) that they were suspended to prevent them from participating in discussions on police grants.

She said 79 DMK members were suspended for stalling the House proceedings by the Chair. However, giving a twist to it (suspension), they are making such a claim, she said. If they are truly concerned about participating in debates, ten (non-suspended) DMK MLAs could have come to the House and expressed their views.

They came...but immediately walked out, she said. Recalling how she had participated in proceedings in 2006 all alone after all her party legislators were suspended, she asked if the DMK chief had such a courage at any point in time. 

Apparently taking a dig at DMK treasurer Stalin, she asked, does the person who is today the Leader of Opposition and claiming to be the future chief of party (DMK) have such courage.? She pointed out that though Stalin may have been suspended, DMK chief Karunanidhi was not. He (Karunanidhi) may have come if he had courage. He should have come. He should have spoken, she said.

Jayalalithaa said she felt DMK members did not participate in the discussion today as they would not have had any answers to the deteriorated law and order situation that prevailed during their regime.

She had brought even a photo album on the shameful law and order incidents that occurred during the DMK regime. However, there was no opportunity to use it (as DMK members had walked out), she said adding she had submitted such documents to the Speaker to get his nod for speaking on it in the House.

Dhanapal lauded her for setting an example in following the rules of the House. He said this was what he was expecting from the Opposition.

Later, Jayalalaithaa, in an apparent reference to DMK’s hi-tech propaganda in the run up to the May 16 assembly polls wherein it had used options including multi-media and catchy slogans, said people had a clear political vision.

They have proved that they cannot be hoodwinked by advertising tactics, she said

She also took a dig at Stalin by recalling that though he had travelled across the state in the run up to the polls and even sought apology from the people if they (DMK) had committed any mistakes, nothing worked.

Speaking to reporters outside the House, Stalin criticised the state government on the suspension issue and later held talks with Karunanidhi.

After DMK’s August 18 mock assembly held inside the precincts of Fort St George that houses the Assembly and State Secretariat, the area today turned into a virtual fortress with heavy deployment of police personnel and entry being restricted to MLAs, employees, and media through separate entry points.

The Speaker, after declining to concede the DMK’s demand on suspension issue, also referred to alleged critical remarks made by Karunanidhi against him over the suspension issue.

Dhanapal said Karunanidhi was making remarks against him without attending the House. He said he was prepared to reply to the charges if the DMK chief attended the proceedings.

PTI