AIADMK legislator to move motion against Speaker

Stepping up his attack, AIADMK legislator S Karunas has written to the Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretariat seeking to move a motion to remove Speaker P Dhanapal for “acting in a partisan and biased manner”.

Karunas, who was arrested for his remarks against Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and the AIADMK government, won the 2016 Assembly elections from Thiruvadanai in Sivaganga district on an AIADMK ticket.

However, he continues to head a caste outfit, Mukkulathor Puli Padai.

“Speaker P. Dhanapal is not acting in accordance with the Constitution and legal principles. He is acting in a biased and partisan manner while conducting Assembly proceedings as well as discharging the constitutional duties as a speaker. He is not acting as an independent authority who is holding a high constitutional position,” the actor-MLA said in his notice.

Political analysts say Karunas has outsmarted the AIADMK by sending a notice to move a no-confidence against Speaker Dhanapal.

This is because the Speaker and AIADMK leaders held discussions on Monday to explore the possibility of disqualifying Karunas and three other MLAs who are close to rebel leader T T V Dhinakaran. Karunas owes allegiance to Dhinakaran.

Already, the Speaker’s decision to disqualify 18 MLAs for expressing no confidence in Palaniswami is pending before the Madras High Court. For a motion against Speaker to be accepted, it should have the support of 35 MLAs— it is not clear whether the DMK, which has 89 members, would support the motion.

If the DMK supports the motion, the Speaker might not be able to act against Karunas under tenth schedule when a motion against his removal is pending.

The principal Opposition’s motion against Dhanapal in 2017 was defeated on the floor of the House.

Though the Assembly Secretariat refused to accept the letter in person, the MLA, who was admitted to a private hospital on Wednesday morning after he complained of chest pain, has sent a copy through registered post.