Stalin and DMK MLA’s released by Police

The DMK leader was detained and was let off later.

Chennai: A day after he staged a protest at Marina Beach after he was forcefully evicted from the Tamil Nadu assembly, an FIR was registered against DMK working president and opposition leader M.K. Stalin on Sunday. Followinf this, Stalin and DMK MLAs were evicted from the House. In the initial few minutes of the trust vote, slogans were raised by the DMK in support of OPS and Stalin interrupted the voting regularly to show his party’s support to the ousted chief minister. This is the first time In 29 years that the Tamil Nadu Assembly goes for trust vote.

The BJP on its part said while there were all-round expectations of a healthy scenario in politics, “in Tamil Nadu it has ended with a scuffle”.

The majority of legislators in the Sasikala camp are housed in a beach resort around 90 km from Chennai and it is from some of these legislators that Panneerselvam hopes to earn votes. The DMK has said it will vote against the government, while Congress has said it will wait for the party high command’s directive.

The irate MLAs huddled near the well of the house and two of them even attempted to usurp the Speaker’s seat.

The party had submitted a letter to the Governor complaining against the eviction of DMK from the Assembly and requested that the session be postponed to enable secret voting, according to local media reports. This was the aftermath of the speaker refusing a secret ballot and then ordering a voice vote for the motion. He was seen unbuttoned and his shirt was torn.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy has won the trust vote, after 122 MLAs voted in his favour after hours of uproar in the Assembly.

Following the incident, the Speaker adjourned the House.

He later led a DMK delegation to meet Governor C Vidyasagar Rao to complain against the Speaker.

They also demanded that voting be held through a secret ballot or held a week later after ruling party members visit their constituencies and understand voters’ sentiments. In fact, DMK MLA Ku Ka Selvam sat on Speaker’s chair which was disrespectful.