DMK MLAs walk out

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, SEPT. 1. In protest against a veiled reference by the Chief Minister, Ms. Jayalalithaa, to the reaction of the DMK president, Mr. M. Karunanidhi, to his arrest, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. K. Anbazhagan, today led a walk-out of the party members.

Ms. Jayalalithaa, without mentioning Mr. Karunanidhi by name, referred to those who took pleasure in imprisoning innocent persons but screamed and shouted when the law caught up with them.

``Those who believe in suppressing opponents with an iron hand using the police force when they are in power, do not cooperate with the police when they are arrested,'' she said.

When Mr. Anbazhagan objected to the remarks, the Speaker, Mr. K. Kalimuthu, ruled that there was no specific mention of any person, and as such, no cause for protest.

But Mr. Anbazhagan said the words used and the circumstances described by the Chief Minister clearly referred to Mr. Karunanidhi. To register his protest, he said he was staging a walk-out with the other DMK members.

The Leader of the House, Mr. C. Ponnaiyan, then termed the walk- out ``pre-planned.'' Mr. Anbazhagan, he said, had indicated his intention to stage a walk-out at the meeting of the Business Advisory Committee.

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Section  : Southern States
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