The Hindu : BJP protests delay in dhoti distribution

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 18, 2004

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Other States - Pondicherry

BJP protests delay in dhoti distribution

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, MARCH 17. The lone BJP legislator in the opposition block in Pondicherry Assembly, A.M. Krishnamoorthy, attended the initial part of the proceedings of the House today bare-chested.

The two-day session began amidst noisy scenes and the transactions were interrupted.

The appearance of Mr. Krishnamurthy without wearing a shirt shocked members and the Speaker, M.D.R. Ramachandran.

Ruling Congress legislators along with the DMK members protested against the ``behaviour'' of the member and wanted the Speaker to take action against him.

Even as Mr. Krishnamurthy was attending the session, the two All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislators, A. Anbalagan and A. Kasilingam, covered their eyes with black cloth.

Mr. Krishnamurthy contended distribution of dhotis and saris to the poor was delayed in almost all Assembly constituencies, more so in his Reddiarpalayam segment, and he had to resort to the agitation for supply of the clothes.

Mr. Anbalagan, braving interruptions, said he had sought to bring to focus the poor health services and the Administration's failure to save the Swadeshi Cotton Textile Mill workers through call attention motions. But the session was held for two days and his notices were brushed aside. Hence the protest, he said.

At one stage there was a heated argument between the Chief Minister, N. Rangasamy, and the BJP member.

Alleging that there was a threat to the health of the people because of large-scale breeding mosquitoes in the Union Territory, Mr. Anbalagan dropped from a plastic bag a bunch of dead mosquitoes and sought immediate action by the authorities.

With the Speaker asking the BJP legislator to ensure that he observed decorum, Mr. Krishnamurthy went out of the House and returned wearing a shirt.

However, the AIADMK legislators and the BJP member staged a walkout for a few minutes to protest against the Government's failure to ameliorate the lot of the poor. The House was drowned in noisy scenes for nearly 20 minutes in the initial stage of the session.

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