Chennai: Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi on Thursday alleged in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that words expunged by the Speaker are still being circulated on YouTube and social media as short “reels”, undermining the purpose of expunging them.
During the debate, Udhayanidhi said ruling party members make allegations without evidence and that the Speaker expunges those remarks. He also claimed that, for the first time in the Assembly’s history, more portions of the ruling party’s speeches are being removed than those of the opposition.
Ministers countered that live telecast of Assembly proceedings began under the present dispensation and accused the DMK of not implementing a 2021 poll promise on live telecast. Another minister said people are now watching Assembly proceedings with their families, while the Speaker remarked he did not see anything wrong with members breaking into songs while making points.
Speaker Prabhakar said the power to expunge words rests with him and that he would remove only remarks that do not aid the House or diminish its dignity. He noted that the opposition had submitted a letter alleging that an expunged portion was broadcast by a media outlet, and said the matter would be referred to the Privileges Committee for action.
