Waste paper basket thrown, cushion ripped off from chair, broken tables, chairs thrown, tearing papers and throwing them into the air, breaking mic, sitting on the speaker’s chair, standing on the bench, – these are not the scenes from the naughtiest class in a school, but from Tamil Nadu Assembly. The assembly was filled with chaos and adjourned twice today. The output of today’s session – It was a cake walk for V K Sasikala’s faction. Edapadi Palanisamy (EPS) won the floor test with 122 MLAs voting for him. Only 11 MLAs voted against him. Congress and Indian Union Muslim walked out and DMK was evicted from the house. Sasikala’s proxy EPS secured the vote of confidence.
The people’s mandate has been mocked by the ministers. DMK which earlier claimed that they would vote against the AIADMK, precipitously started protesting for a secret vote. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister EPS recommended floor test at the State Assembly while the O Panneerselvam (OPS) faction and the opposition parties sought for a secret ballot. EPS was against the secret ballot as it could lead to cross voting. Also, the TN assembly never held a secret ballot. This would rule out the entire purpose of the anti-defection law.
DMK leader M.K.Stalin created optics by walking off with torn shirt. Speaking to the media, he said “Speaker tore of his shirt himself and blamed MLAs of DMK. We are going to meet the Governor to apprise him of the situation here”
DMK MLAs scuffled with Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P Dhanapal, who ordered the assembly police to evict them when the session was reconvened at 1:00pm, after the showdown in the morning. However, DMK MLAs including Stalin continued to stage a dharna inside the Assembly.
Earlier pointing to DMK MLAs the speaker said “You tore my shirt and insulted me, I am doing my work abiding law”. Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin was apologetic about the act.
Before the assembly was adjourned to reconvene at 3:00pm, OPS alleged that the MLAs were being kept in captivity in Kuvathur. Responding to him the speaker said “A case with these allegations was filed in court. An officer has filed report. The case in court and hence sub judice”. Instantaneously, DMK’s deputy floor leader Durai Murugan said “then it is all the more reason, you should wait.”
This anti-constitutional act seemed to be pre-planned. The request is a valid one, but the way in which it was done is shameful. Earlier speaker rejected M.K. Stalin’s request to conduct floor test on another day. Also, today the floor test was vote by division at the State Assembly where in the leaders had to raise their hands in support. However, the leader of opposition Stalin said “floor test should be done on another day. Why the hurry when the Governor has given 15 day time. Democracy will be full filled, only when secret ballot voting is done.”
The Lawmakers became Law breakers. There was a media blackout as the assembly proceedings were cut off in the secretariat press room. The speaker was gheraoed by MLAs of OPS camp and Opposition. These incidents indirectly put the EPS faction on higher ground.
OPS who spoke in the assembly earlier said, “Everyone knows that MLAs were kept in Kuvathoor. People’s voice should be heard and then only the floor test should be done in the assembly. MLAs must first meet people in their constituencies before voting.”
DMK proved the words of Sasikala right, by displaying indirect support to OPS. The Speaker was heckled, rescued by marshals, and the MLAs sat on speaker’s chair. So he expelled the DMK MLAs. The trust has been broken in the assembly.
Tamil Nadu faced its first floor test in 30 years. The last vote of confidence in 1988 ended in violence in the House. Tamil Nadu which hosted the peaceful protests for Jallikattu by the people, witnessed absolute disrespect to democracy by people’s representatives.
