Speaker should be removed, says Cong MLA who was evicted from TN assembly

Mumbai: Congress legislator, S Vijayadharani, who was evicted from the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday after she insisted on raising a matter and dared the Speaker to take action against her, on Wednesday, said that Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal made a degrading remark against her and called for his removal.

“I wanted compensation for deaths due to a short circuit in my district. The concerned minister was ready to reply but Speaker Dhanapal did not let me speak and made a degrading remark, saying I had 'personal deal' with the minister. He should be removed,” Vijayadharani said.

On Tuesday, the woman Congress MLA attempted to raise an issue pertaining to her Vilavancode constituency in Kanyakumari district during the debate on the demand for grants for the agricultural department. However, Speaker P Dhanapal refused to take up the matter immediately.

Vijayadharani kept on insisting that the matter be taken up for discussion at once.

When the Speaker warned of action, Vijayadharani argued with him and at one point even dared him to take action. After repeated warnings failed to make her see reason, the Speaker ordered the watch and ward staff to evict her from the House.

Following her eviction, Dhanapal condemned her behaviour, saying this was not the first time she had conducted herself in the House in this manner. He added that he would be constrained to initiate sterner action in future if she did not change her behaviour.

Thereafter, Congress legislature party leader K R Ramasamy tried to raise the matter about her eviction, but Dhanapal told him not to divert the issue. Protesting against this, the Congress members staged a walkout.