Chennai: In a significant development, the Chennai High Court has overturned a previous order by a single judge that quashed a notice issued by the Privileges Committee regarding the alleged entry of banned gutka into the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
The court has now directed Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and 17 other DMK MLAs to provide an explanation to the Speaker concerning the breach of privilege notice.
The controversy dates back to the AIADMK’s time in power, when it was alleged that banned gutka products were brought into the Assembly. At that time, a breach of privilege notice was issued against M.K. Stalin, who was then the Leader of the Opposition and is now the Chief Minister, along with other DMK MLAs.
This notice had been quashed twice by the Chennai High Court, prompting the AIADMK government to appeal the decision. The case, which had been pending, was recently revisited by a bench comprising Justices S.M. Subramaniam and C. Kumarappan on July 29, and the verdict was deferred to July 31.
In today’s ruling, the High Court not only quashed the earlier order by the single judge but also mandated that CM Stalin and the 17 DMK MLAs respond to the breach of privilege notice by providing an explanation to the Speaker.
This ruling reopens the issue that had been a point of contention during the AIADMK’s tenure, and it places the current DMK leadership in a position where they must address the allegations in the context of parliamentary privilege and conduct within the Assembly.