AIADMK leader and former Tamil Nadu chief minister E Palaniswami, also known as EPS, was on Wednesday detained as he attempted to hold hunger strike to protest eviction from Tamil Nadu assembly.
On Tuesday, Leader of the Opposition EPS and his AIADMK legislators were evicted from the Tamil Nadu Assembly for disrupting the House proceedings by causing commotion aiming to coerce Speaker M Appavu to take up an issue concerning their party.
Former chief minister O Panneerselvam (OPS), who heads the rival AIADMK faction, remained calmly seated next to Palaniswami when the latter along with his supporters created a ruckus.
Disallowing any discussion during the Question Hour meant to raise only people's issues, the Speaker assured to give Palaniswami an opportunity to raise the subject.
However, the Opposition leader remained firm. A visibly annoyed Speaker requested the AIADMK members to resume their chairs and reiterated that he would give them an opportunity to speak.
"I will not compromise in allowing a discussion during the Question Hour. I understand you all have come with the intention to disrupt the proceedings. This is not good," Appavu said.
When the AIADMK members remained standing and demanded the issue be taken up, the Speaker warned the members against stalling the House proceedings and said they were free to stage a walkout if they wished.
Not a single word they had uttered would enter the Assembly records, he warned.
"Stalling the proceedings and shouting is anti-democratic," he said while appealing to them to allow the agenda for the day to be taken up.
As the AIADMK members remained adamant, Appavu directed the Assembly marshals to evict Palaniswami and the AIADMK MLAs.
Later, speaking to reporters outside the Assembly, Palaniswami claimed the Speaker did not comply with the majority decision in the AIADMK in electing R B Udayakumar, replacing Panneerselvam, as the party's deputy floor leader.
"We elected Udayakumar as new deputy leader with the approval of 62 MLAs and informed the Speaker about the decision two months ago. But no action has been taken so far," Palaniswami said.
The Speaker allowed Panneerselvam to continue as AIADMK deputy floor leader, Palaniswami said and claimed that he was not given a chance to speak about it in the Assembly.
"Panneerselvam and his supporters have been removed from the party. It seems the Speaker is acting on the suggestion of the DMK," Palaniswami alleged.
(With PTI input)
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