DMK MPs bunk House to attend birthday party

All DMK MPs except TR Baalu were absent from parliament on Wednesday to celebrate Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s 86th birthday in Chennai. DMK ministers in the Union cabinet were also absent and could not be introduced to the Lok Sabha as is customary after the election of the speaker.

Balu, former surface transport and shipping minister, pooh-poohed reports that he did not attend the birthday because he was upset over his non-inclusion in the UPA government this time.

Balu said his presence in Delhi was because his name was on the list of those who proposed newly-elected speaker Meira Kumar’s name for the post.

Prime minister Manmohan Singh too offered Karunanidhi’s birthday celebrations as an excuse for the absence of his ministers. Among those absent were Dayanidhi Maran, MK Azhagiri, A Raja, S Gandhiselvan, D Napoleon, S Jagatrakshakan and SS Palanimanickam.