Assembly Speaker D. Jayakumar slammed former chief minister Karunanidhi for his “unsavoury” remarks on the Assembly decision suspending DMDK founder Vijayakanth for 10 days and said the “five-times’ former chief minister is trying to gain political mileage.

“Former chief minister Mr M. Karunanidhi is attributing motives to the AIADMK government to get political mileage out of the issue…his opportunistic campaign reminds one of the proverbial saying about the ‘wolf weeping that the sheep was getting drenched in rain,’” he said accusing the DMK leader’s support to Vijayakanth as political gimmick.

Justifying the suspension of actor-politician and leader of the Opposition from the House for lowly conduct, the Speaker said in a statement here on Wednesday, that the action against Mr Vijayakanth was taken based of the recommendations of the Assembly Privileges Committee, which viewed the video footages of the incident.

Even DMK and CPI (M) members, who attended the panel’s meeting, agreed that Mr Vijayakanth’s demeanour had left a lot to be desired and it was against the House traditions.

“Since the behaviour of Mr Vijayakanth lowered the dignity and decorum of the House, his act was referred to the Privileges Committee,” he explained and termed Mr Karunanidhi’s statement describing the suspension “anti-democratic and tend to demolishing democracy” as regrettable and condemnable.

Mr Vijayakanth had gestured at the Treasury Benches during an acrimonious verbal exchange with chief minister J. Jayalalithaa.

The Speaker recalled that in 2007, the DMK suspended then opposition AIADMK legislator A. K. Bose for 10 days for allegedly creating ruckus.

“Then Bose was not allowed to explain his position whereas Vijayakanth was given an opportunity to explain, though he rejected it. Mr Karunanidhi, as chief minister then, supported the suspension saying it would help to uphold democracy in future,” Mr Jayakumar reminded.