Chennai: AIADMK Erode East legislator K.S. Thennarasu’s comment about DMK chief Karunanidhi and his son and Leader of Opposition M. K. Stalin triggered loud protest from the principal opposition party in the Assembly on Wednesday.
Participating in the discussion on the revised State budget for 2016-17, Thennarasu said one member, who did not attend the Assembly session, had criticised the budget from outside. The legislator’s indirect reference to Karunanidhi and Stalin over the budget drew strong protest from DMK members.
Protesting the remarks, DMK members rushed to the well of the House seeking expunging of the reference. Some DMK members even started raising slogans condemning the remark. Speaker P. Dhanapal repeatedly appealed to the sloganeering DMK members to go back to their seats.
After DMK members returned to their seats, the Speaker said he did not hear the comments of Thennarasu as he was on a discussion with health minister. “I will give my ruling after taking a look into the Assembly record,” he said. Unsatisfied with his reply, DMK members were on their feet again seeking immediate erasing of the comments from the records.
Amid sloganeering by DMK members, the Speaker reiterated that he would take a call only after seeing the records. Leader of the House O. Pannerselvam’s intervention also proved to be futile with Opposition members continuing to make loud protests.
The Speaker asked DMK whip R. Chakrapani what they wanted. Chakrapani said his party members were not making any unsavory comments against ruling party leaders. He demanded the Speaker to give his ruling before the end of the day’s proceedings.
