Chennai: DMK members disrupted the Assembly proceedings for about 45 minutes demanding that the remarks of handlooms minister O.S. Manian be expunged. The dispute was settled when the minister himself came forward to revise his remarks and the DMK members agreed to it.
When DMK member Mahesh Poyyamozhi spoke in the discussions on demand for grants to handlooms and labour welfare departments, he raised questions over the setting up of an integrated silk complex in Kancheepuram. The scheme was commenced by the DMK during its rule, he said and added it had not been taken up by the AIADMK government.
Reacting to his remarks, Manian, who intervened said the works for the integrated complex had been completed and it would be opened soon. He also added another statement which was objected by DMK members. The DMK MLAs were up on their feet demanding that the remarks be expunged. Leader of Opposition M. K. Stalin said the remarks were not proper and went to say something which was expunged immediately.
At this juncture, leader of the House O. Panneerselvam recalled a similar incident during the DMK regime and said when the AIADMK members wanted the removal of certain remarks, former minister K. Durai-murugan had said both the remarks could be on record. The AIADMK had registered their opposition and it was sufficient.
Speaker P. Dhanapal accepted Panneerselvam’s suggestion and said the remarks of the minister and the opposition of the DMK could be on records. This was strongly opposed by DMK members, who were on their feet and started raising slogans against the Speaker. The Speaker requested the DMK members to sit down and co-operate for the conduct of the House proceedings.
When DMK members rushed forward and raised slogans, the Speaker said the DMK had come with a plan to boycott the replies of ministers everyday. He said after the DMK members completed their speeches, the Op-position deliberately raised issues and boycotted the replies of ministers.
The Speaker said he had given his ruling which could not be changed and the DMK members could do whatever they wanted. The DMK members resorted to slogan shouting for about 30 minutes. Finally, Manian revised his remarks and said Mahesh had taken inputs for his speech from former handlooms minister D.M. Anbarasan. Fatigued DMK MLAs who were raising slogans for a long time, immediately accepted the minister's suggestion.
