The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : "Speaker lacks discretionary power to decide on seating"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 21, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

"Speaker lacks discretionary power to decide on seating"

Special Correspondent

Jayalalithaa cites court judgments to buttress her claim

CHENNAI: Former Chief Minister and general secretary of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Jayalalithaa on Thursday said the Speaker had no discretionary powers under Rule 6 of the Tamil Nadu Assembly Rules to decide on the arrangement of Members' seats in the Assembly.

Ms. Jayalalithaa reiterated her appeal to Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and Speaker R. Avudaiappan to uphold the conventions and protocols of the House by restoring the original seating arrangement.

In a statement here, she said that it had been clarified in various judgments of the Supreme Court and High Courts that the Speaker did not enjoy any special power over and above the provisions of law.

Referring to Mr. Avudaiappan's remark that the seating arrangement was altered only to ensure smooth conduct of the proceedings, Ms. Jayalalithaa said neither she nor the AIADMK members were worried about attacks on them as they had guts to directly face any situation.

On Mr.Karunanidhi's remark that she, during her tenure as Chief Minister, had not consulted the Opposition before making announcements with regard to proposals on shifting the Assembly venue first to the Queen Mary's College campus and then to a site close to Anna University campus, she said on both the occasions, the then Government's decision was informed and discussed in the House several times.

"Facts contradicted"

The remark by the Chief Minister and the Speaker contradicted facts found in the Assembly records, she said.

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