TN Speaker declines to revoke DMK MLAs’ suspension

Chennai, Aug 18 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker PDhanapal today refused to revoke the en masse suspension ofDMK legislators even as the suspended members staged a protestoutside the House and their colleagues inside twice staged awalkout over the issue. Seven of the nine non-suspended DMK legislators, who werenot present in the House yesterday, along with Congress andIUML members requested the Speaker to reconsider his rulingsuspending the 80 DMK MLAs yesterday. Dhanapal said the matter would be taken up after QuestionHour following which DMK, Congress and IUML staged a walkoutin protest. They, however, resumed their seats soon. When Dhanapal took up the issue later, Congress, DMK andIUML members reiterated their plea that the suspension bewithdrawn. Explaining the reasons for suspension, the Speaker said,"They (DMK) are talking as if the action was taken wantonly.Whatever they did has been recorded in the House register (ofproceedings), and is (also) video recorded. This action(suspension) was taken as there was no other option and hencethere is no question of reconsidering it." Dhanapal said the House was being run following rules andregulations and it could be held only like that. He said DMK members were disrupting House proceedings andeven making fun of him and addressing him ‘inappropriately’and not following rules. It had become routine for DMK MLAs to disruptproceedings, he said, adding that they did not even have thepatience to listen to him. He said Congress Legislative Party leader K R Ramasamyand others were aware of the "distress" he has undergone. The Speaker said his only intention was to run the Housesmoothly. "But they were not allowing me to do so. They werenot paying heed to my repeated requests," he said, adding, hewas constrained to take a decision to suspend the DMK members. He said he cannot allow wastage of taxpayers money, andasserted there was no question of revoking the suspension. Later, DMK legislators along with MLAs of allies Congressand IUML staged a walkout for the second time. (MORE) PTI VGNSA APRAAR