Udhaya Raises Issues Over Expunging Of Speeches And Cars To MLAs

Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin raised concerns over remarks expunged by the Speaker J C D Prabhakar appearing as reels in social media channels since the Assembly proceedings were being telecast live but took credit to the live telecast, saying that it was introduced during the DMK rule with the question hour going live on television.

Speaking in the Assembly, Udhayanidhi Stalin said while the Speaker was kind enough to expunge many unsubstantiated allegations made against the DMK, those remarks were going viral on social media and wanted to know what action the Speaker proposed to take on it.

Congratulating the Speaker for expunging more unsavory remarks than in the past, he pointed out that it was unfortunate that those remarks were telecast as reels in YouTube channels. He also said that the Speaker was giving more time for Opposition members to air their views in the House.

Referring to an allegation made by Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay in the House that he had three files relating to the DMK with him, Udhayanidhi Stalin wanted those files to be opened and its contents made public without wasting time.

All the 59 MLAs of the DMK did not want the cars that the government had planned to give for MLAs since the Chief Minister had already stated that the government was facing a severe financial crisis, he said, adding that cars being given only to those who did not own vehicles as per the affidavit filed along with the nominations for the elections.

Recalling the allegation made against the previous government of emptying the treasury by giving various freebies to the people on the day the new regime took charge and repeating it regularly, he said the TVK government was now giving cars to its MLAs.

Based on the proposal for cars to MLAs, a heated argument broke out in the House between Udhayanidhi Stalin and PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna, who criticised former Chief Minister M K Stalin for declaring that he had only Rs 10,000 in cash with him.

Arjuna said that the Chief Minister had fulfilled the request of a VCK MLA to provide cars and made a public announcement on it. Those who had cars would not take cars provided by the government and members of TVK owning cars would not be eligible for the facility, he said.

When Arjuna said that the Opposition Leader had two or three houses but was staying in a government bungalow, DMK member K N Nehru said he was using the government bungalow to carry out government work. But the DMK MLAs needed no cars, Nehru made it clear.

The opposition parties only talk about the political budget while the TVK announced its plans only after knowing the budget, Arjuna said, adding that MLAs, too, had duties and responsibilities to perform that were not luxuries, justifying the government decision to provide cars to them.

PMK member Ganesh Kumar said that a car was essential for economically backward MLAs and added that two MLAs in his party were economically backward and deserved the provision of cars to them.

However, CPI member Thali Ramchandan said that his party's stand was that MLAs need not be provided with cars by the government.

Arjuna, replying to a query from DMK’s E V Velu on what kind of a politics that the government was playing with the scheme to provide cars to MLAs when 59 legislators had said no to it. Minister Shahjahan pointed out the provision of cars to local body chiefs during the tenure of M Karunanidhi, evoking the response, ‘the duties of local body chiefs were different from that of MLAs.’

There was no politics in providing cars as it would help the MLAs reach out to the people, Arjuan said, recalling a complaint from the people that legislators did not visit the people after the campaign. So the cars would enable them to meet the people and know about their needs, he said.