Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Wednesday dismissed allegations by DMK legislature party leader M.K. Stalin that the secrecy of the Budget was not protected saying as a third-time Chief Minister she would not do anything against Assembly norms.
“We are not novices. The government led by me respects Assembly norms and I am well versed with the rules of the House. There is no need for us to go against the rules,” she said while responding to Republican Party of India member C.K. Tamilarasan, who raised the issue in the Assembly.
Recalling Mr. Stalin's remarks that the secrecy of the Budget was not protected as the Chief Minister had made announcements even before its presentation, Mr. Tamilarasan quoted the DMK leader as saying, “As the Chief Minister does not have faith in budget, we also don't have faith in it.” The DMK members staged a walk-out.
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Accusing the DMK of not respecting Assembly norms and boycotting the House during important events such as the Governor's address, Budget presentation and the Finance Minister's reply, Ms. Jayalalithaa said that as the DMK could not retain its deposit in the Sankarankoil by-election, its members resorted to their old habit of boycotting the House. The Chief Minister said that the government had only issued orders for a few schemes between March 23 and 25 and the Information Department announced these through press releases. “Mr. Stalin has mistaken them for new schemes meant for announcement in the Budget. I don't know whether it goes to show his ignorance or he is deliberately levelling allegations. He must clarify.”
Ms. Jayalalithaa said that DMK leader Karunanidhi was responsible for releasing the report of the Justice C.J.R. Paul Commission, which had inquired into the death of an official of the Murugan temple at Tiruchendur, against the norms of Assembly in the 1980s.
Later talking to reporters, Mr. Stalin alleged that many proposals, including the purchase of 3000 buses, announced in the previous Budget were yet to be implemented.
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He said that the AIADMK had no locus standi to complain against the DMK for its boycotts and walkouts, since Ms. Jayalalithaa herself had torn up copies of the Budget in the Assembly and boycotted the House many times in the past.
In a statement here, Mr. Karunanidhi said that many new schemes had been announced before the Budget and no one could have objected to the government including them in the Budget. Mr. Karunanidhi said that he had to release the report of the Paul Commission on November 24, 1981, because it was gathering dust for many months even after it was submitted to the government.