Chennai: The Thanjavur temple car tragedy which claimed 11 lives due to electrocution, echoed in the Tamilnadu Assembly with the main Opposition AIADMK first staging a walk out and later en masse evicted from the House after staging a dharna in front of the Chair seeking to expunge certain remarks made by a Congress member during their absence.
Speaking on a Special Call Attention motion on the Thanjavur incident given notice of by members of various parties, Leader of the Opposition Edappadi.K Palaniswami staged a walkout alleging that the DMK government did not take sufficient precautionary measures, that resulted in the loss of 11 lives and injuries to many during the car festival at Kalimedu in Thanjavur district.
He accused the ruling DMK of not disconnecting the power supply during the religious procession at Kalimedu, though normally it would be stopped on such occasions.
He also demanded action against those responsible for the accident and urged the DMK to provide a financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh each to the families of the deceased, while pointing out that the AIADMK provided Rs one lakh as assistance on behalf of the party.
Palaniswami recalled the assurance given by HR and CE Minister P K Sekar Babu when two people died in a stampede during the Lord Kallazhagar’s entry into the Vaigai river during the Chithirai festival in Madurai recently that such incidents would not recur in future.
However, despite his assurance, this accident has happened in Thanjavur and 11 lives have been lost,” he said and led his Party members out of the House.
After the AIADMK member walked out, Congress Floor leader K.Selvaperunthagai, speaking on the Thanjavur tragedy, referred to death of more than over 40 people in a stampede during the Mahamaham festival in Kumbakonam in February 1992 in which the then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and her aide participated and also recalled the statements made by her in the Assembly over that incident.
The AIADMK members were not present in the House when the Congress MLA made this remark as they had staged a walk out.
Upon returning to the House, Palaniswami took objections to the Congress MLA’s remarks and sought permission to speak. But Speaker M.Appavu said he given time for the AIADMK to speak and also staged a walkout.
The Speaker also said he would give a chance to the AIADMK leader once members of all political parties finished their speech on the special call attention motion moved by them over the Thanjavur incident.
As the AIADMK members did not relent, Leader of the House Duraimurugan intervened and said their leader would be granted time to speak .
As the AIADMK members continued to raise their objections, Sekar Babu intervened and said at a a time people were still fighting for their lives in Thanjavur incident accident it was not a time to play politics over such incident.
An unrelenting, Palaniswami, accompanied by his party MLAs, laid a siege to the Speaker’s Chair and staged a dharna in front of him and shouted slogans.
The Speaker repeatedly urged them to return to their seats and also warned of eviction.
As the AIADMK members continued their protest, the Speaker ordered the marshals to evict the AIADMK members en masse.
Later, Appavu said Selvaperunthagai only read out a statement made by Jayalalithaa in the House and said ordered the eviction of the AIADMK members with a ‘heavy heart’, while acknowledging that Palaniswami had co-operated with the marshals during the eviction.