Chennai: DMDK members staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Assembly House and announced to boycott the rest of the ongoing session alleging they were not being allowed to raise issues concerning people. Immediately after the Question Hour, members of the DMDK, Congress, PMK and the CPI (M) sought to raise certain issues. However, Speaker P. Dhanapal declined to permit the discussion stating Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa has sought permission to make a Statement under Rule 110 in the Assembly. After Ms Jayalalithaa completed her statement, the opposition members again rose from their seats and sought permission to raise some issue.
But the Speaker refused permission, driving the Opposition members stage a walkout from the Assembly. Later, DMDK members announced that they would boycott the rest of the Assembly session that would last till February 20. Earlier, participating in the discussion on the interim budget, DMDK Whip V.C. Chandrakumar claimed that many in the AIADMK construed his party as “enemy party.” Intervening, environment minister Thoppu N. D. Venkatachalam referred to the implementation of mega schemes like Common Effluent Plant in Erode, and said Chandrakumar continued to be a legislator “only because of ‘Amma’ (Chief Minister Jayalalithaa) and that “he should be thankful to her.”
Chandrakumar, retorted, by saying Venkatachalam could not have become a minister without AIADMK forging an alliance with DMDK. At this, housing minister R. Vaithilingam said the votebank of DMDK became known through the outcome of local body elections. The DMK abstained from the House on Thursday following a decision taken on Wednesday night after their party members were evicted en masse earlier in the day from the House for obstructing the proceedings and laying siege to the Speaker’s Chair while demanding the expunsion of a remark.
Communists sermonise, you will not reach your destination: OPS
There was pleasant repartee in the Assembly over the state's fiscal position and public debt between the treasury benches and Communist member K. Balabarathi, prompting finance minister O. Panneerselvam to jibe the Communists for "sermonising" and that they "will not reach their destination." Participating in the discussion on the interim budget for 2016-17 in the Assembly on Thursday, CPI (M) legislator K. Balabarathi, representing the Dindigul constituency, accused the Dravidian majors, which successively ruled Tamil Nadu of "ruining the state's economy" and always justifying the position by "blaming" the Centre. "Both the DMK and AIADMK have ruled for long yet the state continues to reel under fiscal deficit and inflation. Toor dhal is sold for Rs 200 a kilo," she said and wondered if anything was being done to put the economy on track and efforts to contain the inflation.
"Communists always sermonise. This is how you have spoken. The fiscal deficit is well within the 3 per cent norms and the outstanding debt constitutes to only 19.62 per cent," Mr. Panneerselvam said. He reminded her to study the situation in the Communist ruled West Bengal where the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) was 38.4 per cent and consistently on the rise. A cornered Balabharathi admitted that she did not contradict him but said, "it is not just states, even we have to borrow to run the families." "The prices of Toordal in consistently on the rise. What has been done to rein it?" She asked. Ministers Vaithilingam and Kamaraj said the government had extended subsidy to increase the area of cultivation and initiated steps to provide Toordal at Rs 110 per kilo at the cooperative supermarket.
"Why do you want to go to five star hotel for a cup of coffee when is available locally at an affordable price," Mr. Kamaraj asked. However, Ms Balabharathi persisted and said, the People's Welfare Front (PWF) of which the Left parties are constituent would unveil a new prohibition policy "ushering in a culture of non-alcoholics." "You will not reach the destination (even) when you make a detour as you are headed towards a no-destination," Mr Panneerselvam retorted.
