DMK president M. Karunanidhi alleged on Sunday that Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam was apprehensive about convening the Assembly to discuss the vital issues of the State and said he was ready to attend the session if suitable seating arrangements were made for him in the House.
Reacting to Mr. Panneerselvam’s remarks that he was not attending the House and his assertion that the government knew when to convene the session, Mr. Karunanidhi said the Chief Minister was afraid of facing the Opposition as he himself was not sure where to sit in the Assembly.
“He is going through agonising moments as he is unable to function from the Chief Minister’s chamber and cannot park his car in the area reserved for the Chief Minister. The prospect of his sitting in the seat once occupied by [AIADMK general secretary] Jayalalithaa makes Mr. Panneerselvam squirm,” he said in a statement.
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Explaining why he was not coming to the Assembly, Mr. Karunanidhi said the AIADMK government was against his presence in the House and arranged his seat in such a way that he could not access it. “The DMK MLAs patiently listened to Ms. Jayalalithaa’s speech in the Assembly when she was Leader of the Opposition. If Mr. Panneerselvam makes a promise that the AIADMK members would behave in the same dignified manner, I am ready to be there.”
On the Second Administrative Reforms Commission’s recommendation limiting the number of attempts for the candidates of the civil services examination to three for the unreserved category, five for the OBC and six for the SCs/STs, Mr. Karunanidhi said it would affect the students of the Backward Classes and the SCs/STs, especially those from rural areas.