Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly descended into chaos on Tuesday after DMK legislators protested against remarks made by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay during the previous day’s proceedings, leading to the eviction of several opposition MLAs from the House.
The confrontation began when DMK Whip E.V. Velu demanded that references made by Vijay to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Sarkaria Commission and the MISA period be removed from the Assembly records. The Speaker, J.C.D. Prabhakar, rejected the demand, saying there was no basis to expunge the remarks.
The DMK then escalated its protest, with legislators raising slogans and moving towards the Speaker's podium. When they refused to return to their seats, the Speaker directed the House marshals to remove them. Some legislators were physically lifted and carried out of the Assembly.
The immediate flashpoint was Vijay's speech on Monday during the discussion on demands for grants.
The Chief Minister targeted the previous DMK government and cited material from the Enforcement Directorate, along with references to the Sarkaria Commission and the MISA period.
Vijay alleged corruption and irregularities under earlier DMK administrations, including claims concerning the collection of money in the name of party funds. These are political allegations and were strongly disputed by the DMK.
The DMK argued that references to matters connected with ongoing investigations should not have been made on the Assembly floor. E.V. Velu also objected to what he described as remarks concerning the political persecution of DMK leaders during the Emergency and references to the Sarkaria Commission.
The DMK wanted Vijay's controversial references removed from the official proceedings.
Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar refused.
According to the Speaker, Vijay had referred to matters that had already been discussed in the House and there was therefore no reason to expunge his remarks. The ruling side also defended the Chief Minister, arguing that his comments were based on official documents and previously discussed material.
That decision turned the dispute into a full-blown confrontation.
DMK legislators continued their protest inside the House, eventually surrounding the Speaker's chair and raising slogans.
The Speaker repeatedly asked them to return to their seats. When they refused, marshals were called in.
The eviction was dramatic.
House marshals entered the Assembly and removed the protesting DMK legislators. Some members resisted and had to be physically lifted and carried out of the chamber. The disruption brought proceedings to a halt.
The incident has intensified the already sharp political battle between the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government and the DMK opposition.
Following the eviction, DMK president M.K. Stalin met party legislators at the DMK headquarters.
Asked whether the current Assembly proceedings were being conducted with dignity, Stalin responded that the manner in which the House was being run itself warranted that question.
Stalin's criticism came after the DMK accused the government of refusing the opposition an opportunity to respond to the Chief Minister's allegations and then using marshals to remove protesting legislators.
The party's position is that its MLAs were seeking the removal of remarks they considered inappropriate for the Assembly record.
The confrontation is more than just another Assembly disruption.
It reflects the increasingly bitter political contest between Vijay's TVK government and the DMK, with the latter now occupying the opposition benches.
The ruling side has defended the Chief Minister's remarks and accused the DMK of disrupting proceedings. The opposition, meanwhile, has accused the government of using the Assembly to make political attacks and shutting down its opportunity to respond.
The Speaker has maintained that the DMK's conduct disrupted the dignity and functioning of the House and justified the eviction.
For now, the political takeaway is unmistakable:
Vijay attacked the previous DMK regime. The DMK demanded his remarks be expunged. The Speaker refused. The opposition protested. Marshals stepped in. And Stalin is now questioning the dignity of the very House at the centre of the confrontation.
The Tamil Nadu Assembly has officially become another major battleground in the state's evolving TVK vs DMK political fight.
