Opposition AIADMK members stage walk out

Chennai, July 26: The main Opposition AIADMK today staged a noisy walkout in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, after Speaker R Avudaiyappan turned down their request to take up a breach of privilege issue against leader of the House K Anbazhagan.

Soon after the House met in the morning, AIADMK whip K A Sengottaiyan requested the Speaker to take up the privilege issue raised by his party against Mr Anbazhagan with regard to en masse suspension of AIADMK members during the previous session.

Stating that the matter was under his consideration, Mr Avudaiyappan asked Mr Sengottaiyan to take his seat.

However, noisy scenes were witnessed in the House as the AIADMK members stood up and demanded that the matter be taken up immediately.

The Speaker warned of action if the members did not take their seats and allow the discussion on the state budget to continue.

Protesting against the Speaker's decision, the AIADMK members walked out of the House.

Later, Mr Sengottaiyan told reporters that as per Assembly Rule 121, an MLA could be suspended from the House only after the leader of the House named the member and moved a motion.

However, the AIADMK members were suspended en masse without being named on May 26 in violation of the Rule 121. The AIADMK legislators were prevented from discharging their democratic rights and thereby it amounted to breach of privilege, he added.

As per Rule 122, the Speaker could have adjourned the House for the day or for a specified hour in case of disorder, said.

The AIADMK staged a second walkout in the House protesting that party member S M Velusamy was not allowed to complete his speech during the debate on the budget. Intervening the discussion, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi rose to make a suo motu statement under Rule 110 on the 'Siruthavur farm house issue' involving former Chief Minister and AIADMK General Secretary J Jayalalithaa.

Following the statement, Mr V Sivapunniyam (CPI) and Mr Govindasamy (CPI-M) thanked the Chief Minister for constituting a Commission of Inquiry to go into the issue.

Raising objection that there should be no discussion on the statement made under Rule 110, the AIADMK members insisted that Mr Velusamy be allowed to complete his speech.

However, the Speaker called upon Mr Pongalur Palanisamy (DMK) to speak in the debate. Protesting this, the AIADMK members staged a walkout.

UNI