Locked out of the assembly, the DMK MLAs congregated under the leadership of party treasurer and DMK legislative party leader MK Stalin who sat through the “assembly proceedings” conducted by “Speaker” Durai Murugan. Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker on Wednesday suspended 88 opposition DMK MLAs from the house for a week after they strongly protested against remarks made by a ruling AIADMK member.
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“I was very patient that day and had to finally take action”, he said on his decision to suspend the MLAs. “The entire course of events appears to be an elaborate charade which was preconceived and created to deprive members of DMK party of an opportunity to engage in debates and proceedings in the forthcoming week, in which the agenda of the House includes passing of vital bills and budget proposals”, Stalin said.
Dhanapal had yesterday refused to revoke the en masse suspension of 80 DMK members. Calling it an abuse of power which is amenable to judicial scrutiny, it said the speaker had allowed a resolution suspending the MLAs for a period of seven days, even if they had not signed the attendance register.
Murugan was seen continuously denying the request of the DMK MLAs, who wanted to speak.
Led by party South District secretary of Women’s wing, Malathi, the workers squatted in the middle of the road in Koundenpalaym and raised slogans against the Speaker, police said.
On Thursday, Stalin led 79 of his party’s legislators in a sit-in outside the Tamil Nadu assembly.
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It all began when some DMK legislators including T.M. Anbarasan, B. Ranganathan (not suspended), T. Senguttuvan and M. Thiravidamani came to the Secretariat at 9 a.m. and were waiting in the office allotted to Mr. Stalin.
