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AIADMK MLAs spar with Speaker over OPS’ seat; evicted from TN Assembly
After being evicted, EPS spoke to reporters outside the Assembly, blaming the Speaker for not accepting a decision taken by the majority of the AIADMK to replace OPS with Udayakumar.
Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) and his supporting 60-odd MLAs showed up in the Assembly today and after a ruckus ensued over the seating arrangements, the Speaker M Appavu ordered their eviction.
EPS doesn’t want to sit next to O Panneerselvam (OPS) the deputy leader of opposition after they expelled him from the AIADMK. OPS, still identifying himself as the AIADMK’s coordinator, doesn’t want to give up his seat. OPS was seated calmly while the EPS-led faction tried to bring the Speaker to address their issue.
The EPS faction had wanted the Speaker to accept their removal of OPS and replace him with R B Udhayakumar, their choice as the new deputy leader of opposition. The Speaker didn’t allow them stating that the Question Hour of the Assembly is meant to discuss people’s issues and assured EPS that they would be given an to raise their grievance post that.
“Stalling the proceedings and shouting is anti-democratic,” Appavu said and directed the Assembly marshals to evict EPS and MLAs supporting him. The Speaker explained his stance saying that no one has the right to ask for a change in seating arrangements and according to section 6 TN Legislative Assembly this is not possible. He further said that under section 2-O, the Assembly only recognises the leader of the opposition. “The remaining posts were given by AIADMK to satisfy their party members,” the Speaker said.
This comes a day after the Speaker said that he will answer AIADMK’s request for change of seat and replacing OPS when they either come to his chamber or the Assembly. EPS and his supporters had boycotted the brief 3-day assembly which began on Monday. EPS had written four letters to the Speaker on the matter while OPS wrote two letters stating that no change can be made without his consent. On Tuesday, the Speaker said that the letter from EPS saying that OPS has been removed from the AIADMK is under his consideration.
The Speaker wondered whether the EPS-led faction deliberately stalled the proceedings since the ruling DMK government tabled two crucial reports by commissions constituted during the AIADMK regime – Justice A Armughasamy commission to probe Jayalalithaa’s death in 2016 and Justice Aruna Jagadeesan commission to investigate the police firing in Thoothukudi in 2018.
After being evicted, EPS spoke to reporters outside the Assembly, blaming the Speaker for not accepting a decision taken by the majority of the AIADMK to replace OPS with Udayakumar. “So our opinion is that the Speaker who is meant to be politically neutral was acting on the behest of the ruling DMK government,” EPS said. “We elected Udayakumar as new deputy leader with the approval of 62 MLAs and informed the Speaker about the decision two months ago. But no action has been taken so far.”
OPS reacted that he doesn’t want to comment since the case of his expulsion is in the Supreme Court which has stayed AIADMK from conducting intra-party elections to the post of general secretary. EPS is currently interim general secretary.
