LS rejects notice to expedite Sasikala's swearing-in

 Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Thursday rejected a notice by AIADMK MPs seeking an adjournment motion to urge Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to expedite the swearing-in of party general secretary V K Sasikala as chief minister.

Soon after the Question Hour ended, Sumitra said she had received a notice of adjournment from AIADMK leader P Venugopal.

“The notice is regarding the conduct of the governor. This can’t be discussed in the House. So I can’t allow,” she said. This is for the first time in this session that the AIADMK members were seen in the Lok Sabha.

Soon after the House met, the AIADMK members walked up to the Speaker’s podium shouting slogans like ‘Save democracy in Tamil Nadu’.

In the Rajya Sabha, the AIADMK members who are backing Sasikala created a din on the same issue, forcing Deputy Chairman P J Kurien to adjourn the House till noon.
AIADMK members said they were “protesting” the alleged delay on part of the governor to swear in Sasikala as the next chief minister.

AIADMK floor leader in the Rajya Sabha, A Navaneethakrishnan, said the delay by the governor in appointing Sasikala was “unconstitutional” and “impermissible under law”. “Since ‘Chinnamma’ has unwarranted support of all MLAs, the governor should not delay the swearing-in ceremony. The budget has to be cleared, drought condition is prevailing, there are other pressing issues also which require attention,” Navaneethakrishnan said.

“On Sunday, when the AIADMK leaders met and chose Sasikala to lead the party and the state, it was Paneerselvam who fell at her feet. He touched her feet in front of everyone. And now he says he was forced to resign,” he added.