DMK members evicted from Tamil Nadu assembly, suspended for a week

CHENNAI: There was bedlam in the Tamil Nadu assembly on Wednesday with Speaker P Dhanapal+ ordering marshals to evict more than 80 DMK MLAs present in the House and also later suspending them for a week.The House was adjourned without the customary replies by state housing and information technology ministers after the demands were moved in the assembly. Leader of the house and finance

minister O Panneerselvam moved a resolution suspending all DMK MLAs present in the house for a week and it was adopted by the House. DMK allies, including Congress, which has eight members in the assembly, would take part in the sessions, said CLP leader K R Ramasamy. The immediate trigger for the speaker's decision was a remark by Tirupur AIADMK MLA Gunasekaran aimed at leader of opposition M K Stalin on his 'Namakku Naame' (mass contact programme) tour of the state ahead of the May assembly election.

Stalin as well as deputy floor leader Durai Murugan were not in the House when the MLA mocked the former and DMK MLAs were on their feet.

The Speaker justified the remarks stating that the MLA did not name any particular person, but DMK MLAs, and Stalin who entered the House by then, demanded that the speaker expunge the remarks. Paneerselvam said DMK members need not have raised the issue of the AIADMK's general council meeting. "It does not concern you," he said.

The argument between DMK MLAs and speaker continued for a few minutes. But, as things began to settle down, a DMK member raised an ugly noise that irritated the speaker, who wanted to know whether this was an assembly or not. Accusing the DMK members of refusing to cooperate in the smooth conduct of the House, he said, "I have been warning you (DMK MLAs) repeatedly and seeking your cooperation to run the House. But, I have to say, with regret, that you are refusing to do so. So, I am ordering the marshals to evict you."

Stalin was bodily lifted and dropped in the lobby. Immediately, after that, DMK members were seen trying to revive Durai Murugan, who had fainted. Additional marshals were kept ready in the event of any further incidents.

Chief minister J Jayalalithaa, who was in her chambers at the secretariat, did not attend the assembly session.

Later, speaking to reporters, Stalin accused the speaker and leader of the house O Panneerselvam of "conspiring" to ensure that DMK MLAs were not present when the demands for home department, which is under Jayalalithaa, is moved on August 22.

Right from the morning there was tension in the air with AIADMK ministers repeatedly intervening during DMK MLA S Regupathi's speech on the demands for grants for housing and IT departments.

Earlier, the DMK MLAs led by Durai Murugan walked out after the speaker declined to allow the deputy floor leader to speak following PWD minister Edapaddi Palanisamy's reply on the Mekedatu dam issue.

This is the first time this session that marshals have been summoned to evict DMK MLAs and that 80-odd members were evicted at the same time.