The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Road mazdoor issue returns to rock Assembly

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 28, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Road mazdoor issue returns to rock Assembly

Special Correspondent

Eviction of DMK members leads to walkout by the Opposition

STRIDENT PROTEST: Members of the DMK staging a walkout on Tuesday. — Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

CHENNAI: : The issue of dismissed road mazdoor rocked the Assembly for the second day on Tuesday with Speaker K. Kalimuthu ordering the eviction of some DMK members and almost all the Opposition parties staging a walkout.

The DMK members objected to Food and Cooperation Minister V. Jayaraman reading out letters, purportedly written by affected road mazdoor, in support of the charge made by him on Monday against the previous DMK regime on their recruitment. The Minister displayed some identity cards given to the workers.

The DMK members protested vehemently and told Mr. Kalimuthu not to allow Mr. Jayaraman to make the statement. Chief Minister Jayalalithaa charged the Opposition with attempting to prevent the Minister from furnishing proof after questioning him about it.

Eviction

As Mr. Kalimuthu urged the DMK members to exercise restraint, K. Ponmudi, Parithi Ilamvazhuthi and J. Anbazhagan rushed to the Well.

The Speaker ordered their eviction and said they had rushed towards him with the intention of assaulting him. As other DMK members raised slogans, he asked the watch and ward staff to remove them too.

After Mr. Jayaraman completed his statement, DMK deputy leader Durai Murugan rose to make his point. Mr. Kalimuthu told him to control his party members and did not allow him to speak.

The remaining DMK members then staged a walkout.

When Congress Legislature Party leader S. R. Balasubramoniyan questioned the credibility of the letters, Finance Minister C. Ponnaiyan replied they were written by the affected persons and pointed out that Mr Jayaraman had produced their identity cards.

Mr. Balasubramoniyan led his party members to join the walkout.

The Pattali Makkal Katchi, Communist Party of India, and the CPI (M) members followed suit. The DMK MLAs raised slogans in the lobby.

The Speaker asked the watch and ward staff to remove them. Some of the members were lifted and taken out.

Leaders of the DMK, Congress, PMK and the Communist parties criticised the "denial of permission" for the Opposition to express their views and criticised the Speaker.

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