BJP Accuses TN Speaker of Impartiality

 Chennai: Accusing the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J C D Prabhakar of being partial towards the TVK, BJP State president Nainar Nagenthiran said that the Speaker’s contention that there was no need to obtain his consent before arresting a member of the legislature went against Parliamentary traditions and regulations.

Reacting to the arrest of DMK MLA from Vilathikulam G V Markandeyan for his remarks against Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday, Nagenthiran, in a statement on Wednesday, cited examples from the past when the House presiding officer’s permission was sought before arrest of an MLA or MP and urged Prabhakar to be impartial in his official work.

He also said foisting false cases against a MLA as unacceptable as only the courts were empowered to take such action against the MLA though he government had arrested him and lodged him in the Palayamkotai jail for allegedly threatening to ‘break the bones’ of the Chief Minister, C Joseph Vijay while speaking at a public meeting.

The BJP leader’s support to the DMK MLA, however, has led to speculations over the DMK and BJP entering into a secret pact. Since the DMK is already angry with the Congress for not only snapping ties with it unilaterally after getting MP seats in the last one decade of alliance but also going and joining the TVK government, it is now seen as a party that had mellowed down in its opposition to the BJP, particularly in fighting the delimitation Bill in Parliament.

But the open support to the DMK in the present context has only led to the wagging of tongues over the DMK possibly taking support from the BJP in its bid to come back to power.