Felix's conduct on TV shows under Assembly lens

CHENNAI: The Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar said the House panel would take a call on DMK member S Austin's demand to bar the Tamil Nadu State Minorities Commission Chairman, sitting on a statutory post, from participating in television debate shows.

The DMK member raised objections over what he called abusive remarks by the Chairman, Felix Gerald, on air.

During the debate on the demands for grants for the Industries Department in the Assembly on Tuesday (August 25), DMK member Austin said Minority Commission Chairman Felix Gerald was participating in television debates on political issues.

"The Chairman's post is a statutory post. Under the Minority Commission Act, a person holding the post of Chairman should not make abusive remarks about others. Therefore, the incumbent Chairman should be barred from participating in debate shows," Austin said.

Law Minister R Nirmalkumar said participating in television debates was a matter of personal choice. He pointed out that during the DMK regime, Textbook Corporation Chairman I Leoni had continuously criticised Opposition parties.

Intervening in the issue, Speaker Prabhakar told the minister that there was a difference between a statutory post and a board chairman's post. He said the government could consider the point raised by the DMK member and decide on the issue.