By IANS,
Chennai: Legislators from opposition parties were ordered out of the Tamil Nadu assembly Tuesday after they staged protests in the house over rising prices. Some legislators walked out while some were physically taken out by the marshals.
As the house met, opposition members demanded a discussion on the price rise issue in place of the question hour.
The protesting legislators belonged to the AIADMK, MDMK, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and Communist Party of India (CPI).
Speaker R. Avudaiappan did not allow the discussion but said the members will be given a chance to speak after the question hour.
The law makers of the four parties started raising slogans as they gathered near the Speaker’s chair.
Finance Minister K. Anbazhagan said sloganeering was not decent and the issues could be discussed after the question hour.
With his repeated requests to the protesting legislators to resume their seats going in vain for nearly 15 minutes, the Speaker ordered the watch and ward staff to send out the protesting members.
While some legislators walked out, some were physically carried out by the marshals. Women members were escorted out by female staff.
AIADMK’s O. Pannerselvam later told reporters that prices of petrol, cooking gas and food articles have gone up and the central and the state governments were not doing anything to control them.
He said some women legislators were injured while being taken out by the watch and ward staff.
The present party position in the 235-member assembly is as follows: DMK-99, Congress-36, AIADMK-57, MDMK-3, CPI-M-9, CPI-6, PMK-18, VCK-2, DMDK-1, independent, unattached and nominated members-1 each.