Government has lost majority: Stalin

“Even after that the officials concerned have conducted raids in Chennai and other districts and registered cases against traders, who sold gutkha. Even after some persons were booked under the Goondas Act the banned substance was available. Under these circumstances, the Privilege Committee is meeting,” Stalin charged.

The Leader of Opposition warned that the legislators were indulging in some unwanted activities to remain in power.

On ruling party MLA Kangaraj’s statement that the government should be dissolved, Stalin said, “He lost faith in the Chief Minister and 19 MLAs had already submitted written statements withdrawing support to EPS government. So, the DMK also wants to dissolve the government.” To a question, he said, “There is a Thuglak darbar in place in the state, so the government is not caring about any issue.”

In another statement, Stalin said, “It is shocking that the Governor and Assembly Speaker are functioning against democracy. The Governor should have taken necessary action, after he received written statement from 19 rebels.”

He also questioned Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal’s action in issuing notices to the 19 MLAs on Thursday on a memorandum by the Government Chief Whip seeking their disqualification for alleged anti-party activities.

Stalin said he had earlier written to the Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao urging him to immediately ask Palaniswami to prove his majority. Rao should have convened the Assembly to ascertain the government’s present strength after the MLAs loyal to TTV Dinakaran met him and sought Palaniswami’s removal on Tuesday, he said.

Stalin said the Governor should ensure that Palaniswami does not continue in power by “creating a constitutional crisis and misusing anti-defection law.”

The Privileges Committee of the Assembly is scheduled to meet on Monday evening to discuss the issue of the DMK legislators bringing banned ‘gutkha’ sachets to the Floor of the House. The DMK legislators, on July 19, caused a flutter in the Assembly as they flashed the banned tobacco products, even as the party’s leader and Leader of the Opposition MK Stalin was raising the issue of easy availability of the banned products. The flaunting of the banned sachets raised stiff opposition from the Treasury benches. Speaker P Dhanapal, who was in the Chair, referred the issue to the Privileges Committee with the forewarning that he would necessitate action for bringing the banned products into the Assembly. Sources said the Privileges Committee’s Chairman and Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman had convened the meeting at 5 pm. Political analysts feel that the ruling dispensation might use this opportunity to their best to change the composition of the House as a precautionary measure while the ‘majority’ of the government in the House has become the bone of contention of the Opposition. On an earlier occasion, the Committee had recommended 6-month suspension against 7 DMK MLAs. However, they were spared following the Speaker’s request to withdraw the resolution. This would not be the case this time.