Opposition parties have welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay on the disqualification proceedings initiated against three AIADMK MLAs by Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal.
DMK organisation secretary R.S. Bharathi said the apex court had endorsed the stand of his party on the issue. “The Speaker should not resort to such moves in the future,” he said.
“I consider this stay order by the Supreme Court a victory for democracy. There is already a Supreme Court judgment that if a no-confidence motion is moved against the Speaker, he or she cannot transact any business,” MDMK general secretary Vaiko said. The DMK had already given a notice for such a motion, he pointed out.
Mr. Vaiko said it would only be democratic now for the Speaker not to take up the disqualification proceedings and face the no-confidence motion against him.
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri said the Speaker should not misuse his powers. “The Speaker should have advised the AIADMK that this move will not work out,” he said.
In a statement, CPI(M) State secretary K. Balakrishnan welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay. “The Edappadi K. Palaniswami government is operating with a short-term motive to stay in power, and it is welcome that the Supreme Court has stayed the Speaker’s attempt to disqualify three MLAs,” he said. “The CPI(M) condemns the attempt by the Speaker to bury all democratic norms, and insists that the Assembly’s democratic processes are protected,” he said.
AMMK member and disqualified MLA Thanga Tamilselvan also welcomed the stay. “They [AIADMK] are now legally stuck in the Supreme Court. The SC has asked for an explanation from the Speaker. The court will now ask why no action was taken against O. Panneerselvam and 11 others who voted against the whip. They can’t escape the law now,” he said.