MADRAS: Leader of Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly Balasubramaniam and all other Congress members were on Feb.10 forcibly removed from the House on the orders of Speaker Sedapatti R.Muthiah amid precarious scenes over an official resolution opposing covert imposition of Hindi through Doordarshan.).
When Balasubramaniam and other Congress argued heatedly with the Speaker over the latter’s refusal to permit them to speak on the issue, Muthiah named Balasubramaniam and others and called the narshals to evict them.
The Congress members, however, trooped in to the well of the House and squatted there leading to their forcible removal.
Amid shouts and counter shouts, the Speaker later put the resolution for young. and Set it carried by a majority.
This was the first time that the over 60member Congress party, sinking their factional differences, unitedly flexed their muscles against the ruling AIADMK government.
Speaking to reporters after the eviction of all Congress members from the House following Pandemonium, Balasubramaniam said when the entire opposition was on its feet over the issue, the Speaker should have first restored order in the house before taking up the voting on the resolution, moved earlier by Chief Minister Jayalalitha.
The Congress only wanted to ‘point out’ certain things in the resolution and it had not voted against the resolution, Balasubramaniam said.
The crux of the issue was “the freedom of speech” in the House and whosoever the member may be should be allowed to have their say, he said. Ina major fallout of the incident, six AIADMK ministers announced the snapping of Congress AIADMK alliance in the State.
“The Congress behavior in the House was preplanned.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 19, 1993
