TN row worsens, Vijayakant expelled

The Speaker of the Tamil Nadu state assembly on Thursday suspended leader of the opposition Vijayakant from the house for 10 days, triggering a walkout by the entire opposition, including the Leftists who are the ruling Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK) allies.The entire opposition lined up against the government, calling Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa a “dictator” for expelling the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) party leader from the House.Vijayakant, an actor-politician whose DMDK party had an alliance with the ADMK in the May 2011 state assembly elections, and his 23 MLAs were evicted from the House on Wednesday after he had a heated exchange with Jayalalithaa in the House.“I regret having an alliance with his party,” Jayalalithaa said, calling his behaviour in the House “obnoxious.” She added that she was “ashamed” about the alliance.On Thursday, Vijayakant echoed her words, saying he was also ashamed about his party’s alliance with the ADMK and regretted it.“Even I am ashamed of this alliance,” he said.He said several ADMK leaders were chasing him for an alliance when that party was out of power.He recalled the words of former prime minister AB Vajpayee who said, “I am going to have a good sleep,” after Jayalalithaa pulled down his 13-month old government.“I thought Jayalalithaa has changed, but she is not,” said Vijayakant.Speaker D. Jayakumar had on Wednesday referred Vijayakant and his MLAs to the Privileges Committee.On Thursday, it recommended that Vijayakant should be suspended for 10 days, but pardoned other DMDK members with a warning. Vijayakant did not appeared before the committee.The House adopted a resolution suspending Vijayakant for his “unruly” behaviour and gesticulating at the treasury benches during his heated arguments Jayalalithaa.Finance Minister and leader of the House O. Panneerselvam then moved the resolution suspending the DMDK leader as members protested.DMDK’s deputy leader in the House Panruti S. Ramachandran sought clarifications on the recommendation of the privileges committee, but speaker disallowed it and the DMDK members staged a noisy walk out.Jayakumar announced that Vijayakant would not be eligible for perks during the suspension.Members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by former deputy chief minister MK Stalin also walked out, condemning the suspension.Expressing solidarity, the Left parties and the Congress followed suit.Ramachandran told mediapersons that the ADMK has used its majority to push through what it wanted to do.He said Vijayakant was suspended without any prima facie case and described the suspension as an “autocratic” act of the ruling ADMK.DMK president M. Karunanidhi declined comment on Jayalalithaa’s statement that she regretted joining hands with the DMDK.“I don’t want to comment on that,” the ex-chief minister who was ousted by the ADMK-DMDK alliance said when asked about Jayalalithaa’s remarks in the House. The DMDK’s exit does not pose an immediate threat to Jayalalithaa, but when it comes to electoral arithmetic, it does matter. DMDK is the third largest party in the state.It should be noted that Jayalalithaa and Vijayakant never shared a stage during the 2011 campaign. And later in the year she chose to keep the DMDK away as her party contested alone in the civic elections.