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DMK leads opposition boycott of Governor’s address over CAA in TN Assembly
Stalin accused the AIADMK of betraying the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Muslim minorities by supporting the CAA and the National Citizenship Register.
The entire opposition, led by the DMK, staged a walkout and boycotted Governor Banwarlal Purohit’s address on Monday as a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rocked the Tamil Nadu assembly.
DMK president MK Stalin led his party colleagues out while the party’s allies, the Congress and the IUML, also joined them. TTV Dhinakaran, who heads the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) and Thamimun Ansari of the Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK) also staged a walk out.
The entire opposition demanding repeal of the CAA, was absent when the Governor commenced his customary address to the House.
Earlier, as soon as the House convened for its maiden session of the year, Stalin was on his feet raising the issue of the delay in the release of seven life convicts, including AG Perarivalan, in the Rajiv Gandhi Assassination case. He asked as to why the governor was sitting for more than a year on the resolution of the state cabinet recommending their release.
The governor unsuccessfully tried to pacify Stalin, saying, “You are a great orator. You can debate, the House is for debate. Let me finish.”
But Stalin was in no mood to listen and led the DMK members out of the House.
Later, addressing the media, he charged the AIADMK as primarily responsible for the enactment of the CAA.
“The CAA became a statute, only because of the AIADMK’s support. Had the AIADMK opposed it in the Rajya Sabha it would not have become a law. By supporting the CAA and the National Citizenship Register, the AIADMK has betrayed the Sri Lankan Tamils and the Muslim minorities. We have staged the walkout to expose the AIADMK,” Stalin said.
Echoing similar views, TTV Dhinakaran said the AIADMK had supported the CAA which he said was unconstitutional and anti-secular.
“By supporting the CAA, the present leadership of the AIADMK had gone astray from the path of Jayalalithaa,” he alleged.
The controversial law is expected to dominate the session which will conclude on January 9 (Thursday). On January 3, Stalin had submitted a private member’s resolution, seeking repeal of the CAA, on the lines of the resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly. The DMK had been pressing Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to pass a similar motion in the assembly.
At the commencement of the session, the governor in his address said the Tamil Nadu government would continue to press the Centre to provide dual citizenship to the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in the state.
Touching upon the GST, the governor said the norms framed by the Centre under the new tax regime has resulted in a loss of over ₹4000 crore to the state.
Reacting to the opposition walkout, AIADMK spokesperson Sivasankari said it exposed their inability to engage in a constructive manner.
“Walkout has become habitual for the DMK and the opposition. It shows that they are not able to engage in a constructive conversation and participate in the proceedings in any meaningful manner. The opposition should realise that the mandate demands that they be responsible rather than running away,” she said.
