Oppn protests CM8217;s remark against Jaya

CHENNAI, APRIL 7: There was utter confusion and pandemonium in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday for about 10 minutes when the Oppositio...

CHENNAI, APRIL 7: There was utter confusion and pandemonium in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday for about 10 minutes when the Opposition led by the TMC protested against Chief Minister M Karunanidhi8217;s remark that someone was thinking that they could capture power in the state with the support of the AIADMK cadres after AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalitha goes to jail on corruption charges against her.

While Leader of the Opposition S Balakrishnan and AIADMK floor leader P R Sundaram strongly objected, Karunanidhi maintained that he did not say Jayalalitha would go to jail. 8220;What I said was that some parties were expecting her Jayalalitha to go to jail. However, the AIADMK cadres are not such a type to accept leadership of someone else; they are not gullible persons. In fact, I appreciated the ability of the AIADMK cadres,8221; the chief minister said sarcastically. Health Minister Arcot N Veerasamy added that Karunanidhi had only referred to some persons8217;; and he had not named parties like TMC or CPI or CPM.

The issue came to an end when Balakrishnan and his party coleagues walked-out of the House protesting8217; against Karunanidhi8217;s derogatory8217; remarks against the Opposition parties and AIADMK, CPI, CPM and INL members followed suit. Earlier in the day, the TMC, and its alliance parties, including the AIADMK, staged a walk-out protesting8217; against the state government8217;s refusal to raise the sugarcane procurement price to Rs 1,000 per tonne; paddy price by Rs 100 per quintal; and waive farmers8217; cooperative loans. The members, who walked-out when Agriculture Minister Veerapandi S Arumugam moved the demand for grants for his department, returned a few minutes later.

After the TMC walked-out for the second time, Karunanidhi made a dig at it saying he was thinking that those some persons8217; he referred to were someone else. But they TMC, by staging the walk-out, had converted such an imagination into a reality. 8220;I thank them8221;, he said.

The issue started when Karunanidhi, referring to a member8217;s statement on the DMK8217;s resolution promising that it would strive for providing Rs 1000 per tonne as procurement price for the sugarcane farmers, said that what the party promised in the election manifesto was more important. Even the DMK had once passed a resolution seeking a separate Dravida Naadu8217;. But it was dropped not pursued later. The Congress party, during the leadership of A G Subramania Iyer had even passed a resolution in support of the British rule. But later changed its stand.

Referring to his earlier promise of providing Rs 1,000 as sugarcane procurement price, he said: 8220;Leave us to complete the five year term. We will fulfill the promise. Already the sugarcane farmers are paid over Rs 900 per tonne for 8.5 per cent recovery. All the promises could not be fulfilled in just two or three years after coming to power. This regime is going to continue and it is not going to end.8221; After this the chief minister made the remark about Jayalalitha vis-a-vis the AIADMK cadres drawing loud protests from the TMC and the AIADMK.