Tamil Nadu opposition parties call Palaniswami's trust vote 'unconstitutional': Story in 10 points
DMK's Stalin, PMK founder S Ramadoss, CPI-M state secretary G Ramakrishnan and BJP have all in one voice called the day's developments in Tamil Nadu Assembly as a black day in democracy.
Tamil Nadu opposition parties.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 18, 2017 23:02 IST
Tamil Nadu opposition parties on Saturday expressed concern over the incidents of violence and ruckus in the state Assembly during the trust vote sought by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, calling the voting undemocratic and unconstitutional.
While Palaniswami managed to scrape past the majority mark by winning 122 votes, the eviction of DMK leaders from the Assembly and the ill-treatment of their working president MK Stalin (his shirt was torn) got him to call for the removal of the AIADMK government, which he termed anti-people.
OPPOSITION's VOICES IN 10 POINTS
- Stalin said, "It is a black day for democracy. We insist that a peaceful protest is underway at the Marina Beach. All those interested in removing this anti-democratic government must converge at the Marina."
- In a letter to the Governor, the DMK leader urged that democratic values be restored and the postponement of the Assembly be ordered for conducting secret voting on confidence motion.
- Attacking Asembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, he said, "Speaker's agenda is to announce CM's success in getting confidence vote in DMK's absence. It's unconstitutional."
- The BJP on its part said while there were all-round expectations of a healthy scenario in politics, "in Tamil Nadu it has ended with a scuffle."
- Tamilisai Sounderrajan, chief of BJP's Tamil Nadu unit, said, "Whatever may be (the end result), everyone desires to see a government without any scam taint. Let's wait and see, whether this is a government for the people. Else, we will boycott it." "People want a stable government, not a shadow government," she said.
- Meanwhile, CPI-M state secretary G Ramakrishnan said that democracy could not be upheld by violence.
- "The incidents that took place have brought shame and humiliation to Tamil Nadu and democracy", he said, adding that it was strongly condemnable to see elected representatives causing damage to public property (in the Assembly).
- PMK founder S Ramadoss said "Assembly democracy and ethos have been buried" due to such shameful incidents.
- In Coimbatore, Puthiya Tamizhakam chief K Krishnasamy demanded that the Assembly be dissolved, claiming that the floor test was held in "an undemocratic and unconstitutional" manner after evicting the Opposition members.
- He said that the Governor must reject the outcome and dissolve the Assembly and recommend fresh election.
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