The DMK has urged the Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal to disqualify Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and 10 other MLAs from the membership of the Assembly, under the 10th schedule of the Constitution read with Tamil Nadu Legislative (Disqualification on Ground of Defection) Rules 1986.
Former AIADMK MLA Thanga Tamilselvan, now the propaganda secretary of the DMK, while responding to a letter sent by Assembly Secretary K. Srinivasan, had rejected the arguments of Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami in defence of Mr. Panneerselvam. As regards the argument of Mr. Palaniswami that no whip was issued to 11 MLAs including Mr. Panneerselvam, who voted against the Motion of Confidence moved by him on February 18, 2017, Mr. Tamilselvan said that Mr. Panneerselvam and another MLA S. Semmalai had confirmed the issuance of a whip in a symbol dispute petition filed before the Election Commission of India.
“Even if it is assumed that no whip was issued, the 11 MLAs are liable to be disqualified as they voted against the Motion of Confidence, and from this one undisputed fact, they stood disqualified,” he contended.
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Mr. Tamilselvan argued that the question of whip was also of no significance since after voting, the 11 MLAs in their interviews to media had reaffirmed their “deliberate act” of voting against the confidence motion.
Recalling various judgements of the Supreme Court and the Madras High Court, Mr. Tamilselvan said a whip was issued by Chief Government Whip S. Rajendran to all AIADMK MLAs including the 11 MLAs “who were facing disqualification proceedings”. Requesting the Speaker to allow his advocate to represent on his behalf, Mr. Tamilselvan sought an “order that may be deemed fit in the present case.”