Speaker C Dhanapal's denial of permission citing house rules prompted the M K Stalin led DMK and its allies, Congress and IUML, to stage a walkout of the house
The ongoing tussle between Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit and the DMK today echoed in the assembly when the main opposition party wanted to raise the former's district visits in the floor of the house with the chair denying permission to debate the matter.
Speaker C Dhanapal's denial of permission citing house rules prompted the M K Stalin led DMK and its allies, Congress and IUML, to stage a walkout of the house even as the Chair repeatedly insisted that he was only going by the rules.Earlier, the Leader of Opposition in the assembly wanted to raise Purohit's frequent visits to districts, where the latter meets state government officials, but Dhanapal said the house rules forbid any discussion on the Governor.
To this, Stalin said in the past this particular rule had been relaxed for a debate on the governor, to which the Speaker responded by saying that practice of relaxation of the particular rule was no more in vogue.
Stalin said he was taking up the issue in the interest of state's autonomy and was talking for the ruling AIADMK too. With Stalin's repeated attempts to raise the issue going futile and the chair remaining firm on not allowing a debate, the DMK leader announced a walkout from the house with his MLAs joining him. Later, Congress and IUML also trooped out of the house.
While DMK has been steadfast in opposing the Governor's district visits saying it amounted to 'interfering' in states' autonomy, they have also been staging black flag protests against the same. The DMK had held a "siege Raj Bhavan," stir here on June 23 demanding Purohit's resignation and said the party would intensify the protest if he continued to hold review meetings with government officials in various districts.
Taking exception to DMK's continuing protests against Purohit's district visits, the Raj Bhavan had issued an official release in which it cited a legal provision providing for seven years imprisonment to those 'restraining' the Governor from exercising any of the lawful powers. Condemning the Raj Bhavan statement, the DMK has asserted that it would continue to fight to protect Tamil Nadu's autonomy.
Accusing Governor Banwarilal Purohit of indulging in "direct politics", DMK Working President M K Stalin said his party would not be cowed down by such threats (to invoke IPC section 124) by the Raj Bhavan in its statement yesterday.
"I strongly condemn the Raj Bhavan statement and the Governor for trying to do direct politics on behalf of the DMK. The party will not run away from the responsibility and will not be cowed down by such empty threats," Stalin said in a statement last night.
His reaction came hours after the Raj Bhavan issued a strongly worded statement taking exception to the DMK's continuing protests against Purohit's district visits and the party's 'siege Raj Bhavan' stir on Saturday.
The Raj Bhavan had said the governor enjoys "unhindered freedom" to interact with officials and cited a legal provision providing seven years imprisonment to those "restraining" him from exercising in any manner any of the lawful powers.
It had also cited section 124 of IPC, which said "whoever with the intention of inducing or compelling the President of India, or the Governor of any state... shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years." It was an attempt to intimidate the DMK, Stalin alleged, adding the governor would realise the validity of the party's objection if he had read Article 163 of the Constitution and the orders of the Supreme Court.
Referring to the Raj Bhavan's charge that he was trying to "mislead people" by terming the governor's visits "review meetings", Stalin wondered what else could it be called.
The DMK working president said the media used the term 'review' by the Governor and it was not known whether the Raj Bhavan has issued any communication to them advising not to use the word.
Stalin clarified that the party did not hold 'black flag protests' when Purohit participated in functions as Chancellor of Universities or whenever he visited New Delhi on official work.
"DMK only protested when the governor organised meeting of officials in districts thereby interfering in the rights of an elected government," he said.
Claiming that governors in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal did not conduct such review meetings, Stalin said, "Since the Governor is a representative of the ruling BJP, he is playing the role of the Tamil Nadu BJP president." "The people of Tamil Nadu and media have understood that through such review meetings, he is seeking to help the BJP's vote bank politics," Stalin alleged and asserted that the DMK would continue to fight to protect 'federalism' and the state's autonomy.
On June 23, the DMK had held a 'siege Raj Bhavan' stir demanding Purohit's resignation and had said the party would intensify its protest if he continued to hold review meeting in districts.
Ever since Purohit assumed office last year, he has been touring districts, for which he faced flak from the principal opposition party the DMK, which alleged he was holding review meetings 'like a chief minister.' Purohit, who has defended his visits and interactions with officials had, however, said that 'review' was a word invented by the media and he had not held such meetings.
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