Mike yanked, shirts torn, trust vote won

E.K. Palanisami won an easy trust vote 122-11, aided by the eviction of main opposition DMK and walkout by its allies

The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday turned into a battlefield with Speaker P. Dhanapal being shoved around by the DMK legislators angered by his refusal to order secret ballot to decide on the confidence vote. He alleged that his shirt was torn and the main Opposition targeted him only because he was a Dalit.

Sasikala loyalist E.K. Palanisami won the trust vote 122-11, amid stormy scenes during which mikes were uprooted, chairs toppled and sheets of papers torn.

Trouble erupted within minutes of the House assembling at 11am for allowing Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami to prove his majority. As soon as the Speaker began the session with a reading of Thirukkural, rebel AIADMK legislator S. Semmalai rose to complain that there was no safety for the MLAs (of OPS group). “I have already given you a petition about this and you must ensure our protection,” he said.

Mr Dhanapal said he would ensure the legislators’ safety. Leader of Opposition M.K. Stalin was on his feet alleging that the police stopped him while he was coming for the Assembly session. “We were checked by the police and brought here like criminals from jail,” the DMK leader said.

New Delhi: The KVIC on Saturday said that it has bagged orders running into crores of rupees for supply of Khadi items from private sector as well as government agencies including hospitals and railways during the past six months, sources told reporters. Major orders received by the KVIC include supply of goods to 23 Central government hospitals (`150 crore), ONGC (`52 crore), railways (`42 crore), Air India (`11 crore) and JK White Cement (`17 lakh), said the KVIC chairman VK Saxena in a press statement to the media.