Chennai: Opposition DMK on Wednesday decided to
boycott rest of the Tamil Nadu Assembly session following
"anti-democratic" activities in the floor of the House, saying
the party will explain the events before people in a public
meeting.
"It has been decided that it would not be proper to
attend the rest of the session. To explain to the people the
incidents in the Assembly, we have decided to conduct a public
meeting in Chennai on August 25 titled `The Perils of
Democracy` in which party chief Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) and
others will participate," DMK Legislature Wing leader M K
Stalin said.
Similar meetings will be held all over the state, he
said at the end of a party meeting presided over by Karunanidhi.
The decision was taken in the wake of `body language`
controversy surrounding former minister and senior party
leader Duraimurugan which eventually led to a walkout in the
House today and ruling AIADMK not obliging its demand for
accommodating all DMK MLAs together in the Assembly.
Speaking to reporters, Karunanidhi said the ruling
AIADMK was indulging in "anti-democratic activities" and his
colleagues were hurt by the incidents in the Assembly.
Stalin alleged that AIADMK was determined to make them leave
and charged them with making unsavoury remarks against his
father.
"We were not allowed to talk and all sorts of charges were
levelled against us," he read out from a statement in the
presence of Karunanidhi at party headquarters Anna Arivalayam.
Despite maintaining restraint, the ruling benches were
provoking them to evict them, Stalin charged as he recalled
that his party`s repeated requests for proper seating
arrangements, accommodating all the 23 DMK MLAs in one area,
had not been met with favourable response.
This was not the case when the Dravidian party was ruling,
he said.
On today`s issue involving Duraimurugan, whose "body
language" was objected to by Local Administration Minister K P
Munusamy, Stalin denied any wrongdoing on the part of the
senior leader and said that only AIADMK members had "abused
him."
He also recalled Duraimurugan`s contention that video
records could be verified to confirm the allegation and that
Duraimurugan had said he was prepared to quit if they were
proved and demanded the Minister`s resignation if he was
proved wrong.
PTI
