Pondy Opposition to boycott Deputy Speaker election

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, JULY 3. The 12-member Opposition comprising the DMK, the PMC and the BJP will boycott the election of the Deputy Speaker of the Pondicherry Assembly sceduled for July 5.

The DMK legislature party leader, Mr. R. V. Janakiraman, who briefed newspersons after a meeting of the NDA constituents here today, said the Opposition was protesting the ``bypassing'' of the relevant rules on the occasion of election of the Speaker on June 11.

The Opposition felt that there would be no adherence to rules in the Deputy speaker election also and hence the boycott.

The meeting was addressed by the leaders and legislators of the Opposition parties and also the vice-president of the DMK, Mr. C. P. Tirunavukarasu, and leaders of the Dravida Peravai, the Samata Party and other NDA.

The meeting called upon the Centre to invoke Article 356 in Tamil Nadu as the recent incidents of violation of human rights, suppression of press freedom by the State Government and also unleashing of atrocitious and autocratic measures have come to cause concern.

Representatives of the NDA parties would stage a demonstration in front of the Assembly on July 5 an hour before the commencement of the Assembly session.

Mr. K. Lakshminarayanan, PMC legislature party leader, said today that the decision of the Opposition to boycott the Deputy Speaker election on July 5 did not mean that the Opposition would not participate in the other proceedings of the House, if any that day.

The meeting of the NDA held earlier under chairmanship of the DMK legislature party leader, Mr. R. V. Janakiraman, had noted with concern the reported comments of the Chief Minister, Mr. P. Shanmugham, on the developments in Tamil Nadu, although the Congress functionaries at the high command level, Ms. Ambika Soni, Mr. Jaipal Reddy and the Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, had expressed their anguish over the manner in which Mr. Karunanidhi was arrested.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : SCTIMST develops new treatment technique
Next     : Concern over Karunanidhi's health