High drama at Puducherry Assembly

The Legislative Assembly entrance on Monday witnessed tense moments after three BJP leaders nominated by the Centre as MLAs staged a protest against the Speaker’s decision to not permit them inside the House in spite of the High Court order validating their nomination. The Speaker said he would seek legal opinion on the issue.

Half an hour before the Assembly commenced at 9.30 a.m, the three nominated MLAs — V. Swaminathan, K.G. Shankar and V. Selvaganapathy — came to the main entrance with the High Court order and urged the Assembly staff to allow them to enter the House.

A few minutes into the protest, Mr. Shankar fainted and was shifted to the Government General Hospital.

The marshals told the members about the instructions given by the Speaker to restrict entry to only elected representatives. The BJP leaders warned the marshals of serious consequences that would follow for disobeying the High Court order, but the Assembly staff did not budge.

Deputy Inspector-General of Police Rajiv Ranjan reached the spot and and tried to pacify the BJP members. “My jurisdiction ends outside the boundary walls of the Assembly. The Speaker is the sole authority inside the Assembly and we don’t have any say. We need to follow the order of the Speaker,” he told the protesting members.

The members pressed for an audience with the Speaker. For a while, when Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi arrived in the Assembly for her customary address, the BJP leaders moved away from the main gate to allow her convoy in. They continued with the protest after the convoy passed and till the Assembly was adjourned sine die around 12.15 p.m.

Anticipating trouble as the Speaker stuck to his stand against the appointment, the Assembly staff had stepped up security at the gate.

As per the order of the Speaker, the main gates remained locked from early morning with even official vehicles of the Chief Minister, Ministers and legislators made to halt near the main entrance. The only vehicle that was allowed inside the Assembly premises was that of the Lt Governor.

Specific instructions

A source said the Speaker’s office on Sunday night itself had communicated to all the 30 MLAs about the restrictions proposed to be imposed. The MLAs had agreed to follow the restrictions, said a source.

The Speaker had ordered the removal of three chairs inside the House usually allotted to the nominated members.

Later in the day, the BJP leaders met the Lieutenant Governor and apprised her of the situation. Ms. Bedi in a message said: “It’s been brought to our notice that three nominated MLAs were obstructed from coming into the Assembly despite clear orders of the First Bench of the Madras High Court. I am calling for a report from the Chief Secretary and [will] take required action at our administrative end.”