Chennai: A heated scene unfolded in the Tamil Nadu Assembly after DMK MLAs demanded that Chief Minister Vijay’s remarks—touching on the Sarkaria Commission, MISA-era arrests and an Enforcement Directorate (ED) report—be removed from the official records. As the protest escalated, Assembly marshals evicted the DMK members.
When the House met at 9.30 am, DMK whip E.V. Velu cited Assembly conventions and Rule 92, arguing that matters under judicial consideration should not be discussed. He alleged that the Chief Minister had read from an ED report linked to an ongoing case, calling it a breach of House tradition, and sought expunging of the speech.
Law Minister Nirmal Kumar countered the DMK’s claims, disputing the party’s assertions on MISA arrests and stating that the Sarkaria Commission contained material against former DMK leaders. He warned that revisiting old history would bring out more facts about the DMK.
DMK MLAs then rose in protest, shouting slogans and insisting the Chief Minister’s remarks be struck off. Speaker Prabhakar reprimanded a minister for an intervention during the commotion and later ruled that the Chief Minister had referred only to an ED report already in the public domain, and that similar issues had been discussed earlier in the Assembly.
As the DMK continued to surround the Speaker’s chair and disrupt proceedings, the Speaker gave them a brief ultimatum to return to their seats, offering Velu time to speak if order was restored. With the protest continuing, he directed marshals to remove the DMK MLAs, who were then carried out. The Speaker later said he was left with no option and expressed regret over the situation, while thanking members who remained calm.
