Chennai, June 25 (UNI) The Principal Opposition DMK and its allies
on Monday staged a walk out from the Tamil Nadu Assembly after
Speaker P Dhanapal refused permission to raise the issue of Governor
Banwarilal Purohit holding review meetings in districts with the officials.
During Zero Hour, after the House met after a 10-day recession, DMK
Working President and Leader of the Opposiiton M K Stalin sought to
raise the issue.
He said the Governor holding review meetings undermined the State's
autonomy and demanded a discussion on the issue.
But the Speaker, citing Rule 92 (7) of the Assembly refused permission
following which the DMK members walked out of the Assembly.
DMK's allies, the Congress and the IUML, also followed suit.
Later, talking to reporters outside the Assembly premises, Mr Stalin said
the DMK would continue to stage black flag protests and agitations if the
Governor continued to hold review meetings.
Asserting that the DMK was prepared to make any sacrifice to uphold
the State's autonomy, he cited a precedence when a resolution was
adopted in the Assembly during the AIADMK regime in 1995 against
the then Governor M Channa Reddy and sought permission to raise
the issue.
Since the Speaker denied permission, the DMK members and its allies
staged a walk out from the Assembly, Mr Stalin said.
He said the DMK would not be cowed down by threats that those laying
siege to the Raj Bhavan and launching agitations would be arrested and
could be jailed for a term up to seven years.
Stating that he was prepared to be in jail not only for seven years, but for
the rest of his life to protect the State's autonomy, he said the DMK's black
flag agitation against the Governor would continue as long as he continued
to hold review meetings.
It may be recalled that two days back the DMK members staged a black flag
protest at Namakkal, following which more than 500 of them were arrested.
Condemning the arrests, Mr Stalin and scores of DMK workers laid a siege to
the Raj Bhavan on Saturday leading to their arrests.
Subsequently police registered cases against more than 1,000 DMK workers,
including Mr Stalin on charges of illegal assembly and other sections.
UNI GV 1302