The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday revoked the suspension of nine AIADMK MLAs on the recommendation of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
The resolution for revoking their suspension was moved by Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, and the House unanimously adopted it. Speaker R. Avudaiyappan said they can attend the House from Wednesday.
The nine MLAs — D. Jayakumar, Pollachi V. Jayaraman, Tiruttani G. Hari, C.Ve. Shanmugam, K. Pandurangan, S.P. Velumani, L. Ravichandran, Agri S.S. Krishnamurthy and Senthil V. Balaji — were suspended for the rest of the session in connection with incidents on the day of the Governor’s address to the Assembly.
On Tuesday, immediately after the question hour AIADMK deputy leader O. Panneerselvam sought the revocation of the suspension, saying that the nine members should be allowed to perform their democratic duty in the House.
As representatives of the people, they have the democratic right to raise issues in the House. CPI(M) member N. Nanmaran, CPI leader V. Sivapunniyam and MDMK leader Sadan Tirumalaikumar also made a similar demand.
Panneerselvam’s argument rejected
Leader of the House K. Anbazhagan, however, rejected Mr. Panneerselvam’s argument, saying that if disrupting the Governor’s address and showing disrespect to him were considered as the democratic rights of the members, it could not be accepted.
Members’ behaviour
He said the request for revocation of the suspension could be considered if the nine members agreed to vouch for proper behaviour in the Business Advisory Committee.
As their demand was not met, the AIADMK members staged a walkout.
Intervening at this juncture, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Opposition members had behaved in a similar manner in the last few days and conducted a mock Assembly.
He pointed out that the DMK maintained silence even when 10 DMK MLAs, including K. Anbazhagan, were disqualified by the then Speaker P.H. Pandian during M.G. Ramachandran’s regime.
“We should not forget what happened in the past. Now you [the Communists] are supporting the AIADMK and pleading for it, but you did not speak for us then,” he said, adding that it was an irony that the Communists were arguing the case of the AIADMK when there was no guarantee that they would be part of the alliance.
Conversation recalled
Mr. Karunanidhi also recalled the conversation between Mr. Pandian and DMK member Nanjil Manoharan and the declaration of Mr. Pandian that “the Speaker has got ample powers. Legislature is a democratic institution. It is Supreme. The House is Supreme.”
After the Chief Minister finished speaking, CPI(M)’s Nanmaran said the Communists stood by the DMK, The Hindu, and DMK member Parithi Ellamvazhuthi when the House gave a ruling against them. The CPI(M) members also staged a walkout.
Stating that Mr. Nanmaran had left the House to prove his party’s proximity with the main Opposition AIADMK, he asked CPI leader Sivapunniyam to remain in the House and express his views.
Later, Mr. Sivapunniyam said he would bring back the Communist members and others to the House since the Chief Minister had agreed to consider their request.
Mr. Karunanidhi recommended revocation of the suspension of the nine AIADMK members, saying that as the followers of former Chief Minister C.N. Annadurai, the DMK had faith in the philosophy “let us forgive and forget.”
