EPS, his supporters detained for trying to hold hunger strike in TN assembly

Chennai, Oct 19: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and senior AIADMK leader Edapaddi K Palaniswami (EPS) was detained by the police on Wednesday along with his supporters for trying to hold hunger strike outside the Tamil Nadu assembly after the Speaker did not recognise him as the Deputy Floor Leader of the house.

The Leader of Opposition EPS wants his rival O Panneerselvam (OPS) to be removed as the Deputy Floor Leader. His faction, with the backing of majority of AIADMK legislators, had sought the Speaker to derecognise Panneerselvam and allot his seat to Udayakumar who has been appointed as the deputy floor leader replacing OPS.

The supporters of EPS has also opposed the seating arrangement for the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.

As per the present seating arrangement, both EPS and OPS sit in the front row together in their capacity as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Deputy LoP, respectively.

However, the Speaker has said that he is examining the issue. "No on can order me on the seating," NDTV quoted him as saying.

On Tuesday, the Speaker had ordered the eviction of Tamil Nadu Opposition Leader Edappadi K Palaniswami and other AIADMK MLAs amid a ruckus in the Assembly.

The Speaker earlier said leaders of the two AIADMK factions submitted him 6 letters, including 4 from Palaniswami, asking for separate seating arrangement in the Assembly for their respective members.

After the AIADMK lost to the DMK in the Assembly elections last year, EPS and OPS, both former Chief Ministers have been sharing the two-seater chair facing Chief Minister M K Stalin and the treasury benches.