A delegation of DMK legislators, led by Assembly whip E.V. Velu, on Tuesday met Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar and submitted a breach-of-privilege complaint against Law Minister Nirmal Kumar, accusing him of placing incorrect information before the House.
During the meeting, the legislators also sought an update on an earlier petition demanding the removal of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s remarks on the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) from the Assembly records.
The DMK had objected to the remarks, contending that they disparaged a former Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.
Speaking to reporters after meeting the Speaker, the legislators said making derogatory references to the former Chief Minister and the Opposition leader was contrary to Assembly rules.
They also maintained that members should not make allegations in the House against individuals who were not present to defend themselves.
The delegation said it had already submitted a representation seeking to expunge the Chief Minister’s comments on MISA from the proceedings.
The members asked the Speaker to clarify what action had been initiated on that request and urged him to take an early decision.
The DMK legislators said the fresh privilege complaint centred on their allegation that the Law Minister had furnished misleading and incorrect information during Assembly proceedings. Providing false information to the legislature amounted to a violation of its rules and privileges, they argued.
They said a Privileges Committee had been constituted and expressed hope that the complaint would be referred to it for scrutiny. After examining the allegations and the relevant Assembly records, the committee could recommend the next course of action, they added.
The legislators accused the government of attempting to divert public attention by repeatedly raising what they described as baseless and malicious issues.
They alleged that the Cabinet was relying on controversies without factual foundation instead of responding to questions raised by the Opposition on governance and public concerns.
The meeting adds another flashpoint to the continuing confrontation between the ruling TVK and the DMK inside the Assembly.
The Speaker has not yet announced a decision on either the earlier request to expunge the Chief Minister’s MISA remarks or the privilege complaint filed against the Law Minister.
The DMK said it would await the Speaker’s response before deciding its course of action.