Hit songs from films of the late Chief Minister and AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran that a ruling party member quoted, led to a face off with the DMK in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday.
Ruling party members came to his defence, asserting that MGR songs were thought-provoking and eternal.
AIADMK member E. Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) set off the debate when he read out lyrics from a song from Padagotti featuring MGR, while speaking on fisheries. This was opposed by some DMK members who wanted him to confine himself to the topic.
Cooperation Minister Sellur K. Raju intervened and said there was nothing wrong in referring to songs that had withstood the test of time. “There have been songs aplenty but few remain in people’s hearts like MGR songs,” he said.
When DMK members continued to disrupt Mr. Rathinasabapathy, who relied heavily on the songs, Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin told his party colleagues that the AIADMK MLA was “only reading out what has been given to him.”
DMK members responded positively to this counter, prompting Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar to point out that some of the songs were from MGR-starrers made when he was in the DMK. He wanted to know whether the DMK was insulting its own former member.
Mr. Stalin replied that he had watched MGR’s movies three or four times, cycling a long way in his youth to see them. If the debate was about songs he could cite several. However, Deputy Speaker Pollachi V. Jayaraman refused permission.
When the House thought the debate on the songs was over, Mr. Rathinasabapathy pressed on. If reading out lyrics of MGR songs was wrong, and if he could not sing them, of what use was his voice and his tongue?
MGR’s film songs are often read out or sung by ruling party members to praise the party and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Some comments made by Mr. Rathinasabapathy against the DMK were opposed by Opposition MLAs, and the Deputy Speaker expunged them, as sought by the DMK members.
