DMK members evicted for creating ruckus in House

DMK members indulged in vociferous sloganeering, tearing up a privilege committee report against their leader Karunanidhi, in the Assembly on Friday.

It all started when an inquiry report on a privilege motion against DMK leader M. Karunanidhi was tabled in the House. The privilege move was raised by agriculture minister R Vaithilingam last September when the minister alleged that Karunanidhi had in an essay in party organ ‘Murasoli’ said things which the minister had never stated in the assembly. 

The minister’s complaint was referred to the privileges committee. Deputy speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman tabled the inquiry report – which condemned Karunanidhi for his action - in book form in the Assembly. The House accepted the report through a resolution with the Speaker stating that the Assembly condemned Karunanidhi for his act and was warning him against repeating the same.

DMK members shouting slogans were immediately on their feet. They surrounded the speaker’s podium and raised slogans against him. They also tore copies of the report. Following this, the Speaker ordered that DMK members be evicted.  Amidst protest by the agitating DMK MLAs, the House adopted a resolution moved by Finance Minister and leader of the House O Panneerselvam that the recommendations of the privileges committee be accepted by the House. It was subsequently adopted by a voice vote in the House. 

The privileges committee, which comprises members from all the parties, had recommended that though an action was warranted, considering Karunanihi’s age (92), he should be asked not to indulge in such activities in future. The Speaker said that in view of upholding Assembly’s sovereignty and to ensure that Karunanidhi did not repeat such activities in future “this House expresses its strong condemnation”.