Handlooms Minister’s speech triggers war of words in House
Members of the ruling DMK and Opposition AIADMK were engaged in heated exchanges in the Assembly on Monday after state Handlooms Minister R Gandhi accused mismanagement in the department in the previous AIADMK regime.
Replying to the debate on demands for grants for his department in the House, Gandhi set the tone for the war of words when he said that his predecessor (AIADMK minister) did not pay a single visit to the department’s facilities in his entire tenure.
Listing out the various efforts made under his leadership to revive the Handloom Ministry since returning to power in May, Gandhi said the department run Co-optex outlets, which were profitable in the previous DMK regime, had suffered loss in the previous regime. The Minister’s comments caused unrest in the Opposition ranks with its members urging the chair to expunge the remarks.
Rushing to the defence of the Minister, Leader of the House and Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan said that it was quite normal to mention the corruption and mismanagement of a previous government after regime change.
Unimpressed, AIADMK whip SP Velumani said that they do not have the opportunity to counter the Minister as he makes the statements during his reply. “We like to be in the House. Hence, we ask you to expunge the remarks,” Velumani said, prompting an instant response from Duraimurugan who argued that comments could be expunged if they were unparliamentary or untrue. The AIADMK members returned to their seats on the insistence of Speaker M Appavu.
An unfazed Gandhi triggered a fresh bout of protest by the Opposition as he continued his offensive against the AIADMK regime in his casual style. This time, the AIADMK members rose from their seats and stormed the well of the House, insisting that the Minister’s remarks be stricken off the record.
A seasoned Duraimurugan put the issue to bed and calmed the House by saying, “You (AIADMK) are at liberty to move a privilege motion against the Minister if his statement were untrue. It is unfair to insist that a Minister should not speak in a certain way. Will a Minister make such remarks without checking facts?”