DMDK, Left parties stage walkout

CHENNAI: Speaker D Jayakumar on Thursday suspended Leader of Opposition and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam founder Vijayakant for 10 days from the proceedings of the House, based on the recommendations of the Privileges Committee of the Assembly.The Speaker said the Privileges Committee comprised all party members and as such, there was no need for a further discussion on the issue. Deputy Leader of Opposition Panruti S Ramachandran said once the report of the Privileges Committee was presented, it became a document of the House and the members had the right to express their views on it.But Leader of the House O Panneerselvam moved a resolution seeking the approval of the House for the recommendations of the Privileges Committee and it was adopted by voice vote even as DMDK members were raising their voice against the decision. Vijayakant did not turn up on Thursday.Following this, members of the DMDK, CPI and CPM staged a walk-out. Talking to reporters outside the House, Panruti Ramachandran said the ruling against the DMDK leader was one-sided. DMK floor leader MK Stalin said N Ramakrishnan (DMK), who attended the meeting of the Committee, had argued that only the clippings showing Vijayakant were screened and not that of the treasury benches.CPM floor leader Soundararajan said the decision to suspend Vijayakant was taken ignoring the views of the other members of the Privileges Committee. CPI leader Gunasekaran said the issue was over once Vijayakant was evicted for his action and there was no need for making a hasty decision on this issue.Soon after the Speaker referred his behaviour to the Privileges Committee on February 1, the Committee met in the afternoon and summoned Vijayakant to appear before it on Thursday. But he did not appear before the Committee.Vijayakant was the second member to be suspended from the House based on the recommendation of the Privileges Committee. On January 31, DMK Member T R B Raja was suspended for 10 days for videographing the proceedings of the House on September 5 last year.