DMK MLAs suspended for rest of budget session

They want only disrupted proceedings, says Speaker

The DMK MLAs were suspended on Tuesday from the Assembly for the remainder of the budget session.

Speaker P. Dhanapal said the DMK members had wantonly disrupted the proceedings, despite repeated warnings. Their actions did not match the dignity of the House.

Quoting the Assembly Rules, the Speaker said any member evicted more than twice in a session had to be suspended. The DMK members were evicted four times in this session. Yet, they were allowed to participate in the proceedings as the chair wanted them to discharge their democratic duties.

The suspension was preceded by uproar over Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar’s remarks in his reply to a call attention motion, which the DMK members felt were derogatory to their leader M. Karunanidhi.

Some DMK members proceeded to the well and squatted in front of the chair, demanding that the comments be expunged.

As his pleas went unheeded, Mr. Dhanapal ordered the marshals to evict the DMK MLAs. A couple of them had to be physically lifted.

Leader of the House and Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam said the DMK members were bent on creating confusion.

Walkout

As a mark of protest, members of the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi and the Puthiya Tamizhagam staged a walkout.

Recalling how the State was hit by a tsunami 10 years ago, the Minister, in his speech, said Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had swiftly launched relief and rescue operations. When the DMK was in power, it allotted Rs. 25 crore for drought during 2009, whereas the present government set apart Rs. 1,613.6 crore in 2013 and Rs. 681.53 crore this year.