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The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed a heated exchange between the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Friday, August 21, with Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin challenging Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to release the alleged corruption files he has claimed to possess against the previous DMK government.
Vijay had said in the Assembly on August 19 that he had evidence of corruption in the previous DMK government and that the files were on his table. He had said that the details would be made public at an “appropriate time”.
Raising the issue during Friday’s proceedings, Udhayanidhi questioned why the government was delaying action if it had evidence of wrongdoing.
“Why is there a hesitation to open the files? Take legal action immediately, if the government has evidence. The DMK is not afraid,” Udhayanidhi said.
He also took a swipe at Vijay over the delay, asking whether the Chief Minister was waiting for an astrologer to decide when the files should be released.
“Will you release them only if an astrologer says so? We are not worried,” Udhayanidhi said.
“Don't deliver punch dialogues like in cinema in the Assembly,” he said.
Minister Aadhav Arjuna, responding to Udhayanidhi, said the government would take action according to law. He said White Papers were being prepared on the functioning of several departments and that legal action would be taken if irregularities were found.
Arjuna also referred to members of the DMK having faced the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA). “The TVK came to power by defeating those who had faced MISA. So, we are not afraid of anyone,” he said.
Minister N Anand sought the deletion of Udhayanidhi’s reference to an “astrologer” from the Assembly records. Udhayanidhi objected to this, saying, “Astrologer is not a wrong word.”
“You are the ones who gave a government post to an astrologer and then removed him,” he said.
Minister Nirmal Kumar, referring to former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, also brought up the issue of astrologers, saying, “Tamil Nadu has already seen a person who wore a yellow shawl after consulting an astrologer.”
The Assembly also saw a discussion over the circulation of remarks that had been expunged from the House records.
Udhayanidhi said the Assembly proceedings were being telecast live and that the Speaker had been promptly expunging remarks and allegations made without evidence.
Arjuna defended the live telecast, saying it had been introduced only after the TVK came to power and allowed people to know what was happening in the Assembly, thereby ensuring transparency.
He questioned why the proceedings had not been telecast live after the DMK came to power in 2021, pointing out that the DMK had promised live telecast of Assembly proceedings in its 2021 election manifesto.
Udhayanidhi, meanwhile, said the Opposition was not against the live telecast and said that live telecast of Question Hour had begun during the DMK regime.
“We are not opposing the live telecast. The deleted portions are going on social media. What action are you going to take to prevent that?” he asked.
Speaker JCD Prabhakar said broadcasting remarks after they had been expunged from the Assembly records would amount to a breach of privilege.
“If remarks removed from the Assembly records were broadcast, the matter would be referred to the Privileges Committee and appropriate action would be taken,” he said.
