Premalatha Criticises Assembly Disruptions, Meets Speaker in Chennai

DMDK general secretary Premalatha expressed strong frustration outside the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in Chennai on Thursday over the ongoing acrimony and disruptions during House proceedings, urging the government to make proper use of its opportunity to serve the public instead of fighting incessantly.

Speaking to the media outside the House, Premalatha stated that she was not given an opportunity to address the Assembly. She noted that she met the Speaker to apprise him of how proceedings were declining, pointing out that all members were not receiving equal opportunities to express their viewpoints.

Premalatha observed that the proceedings, which were previously engaging to watch, have turned into a battlefield. She remarked that it was unfair for members to use House time to satisfy personal egos when taxpayers' money is spent to organise the legislative sessions.

According to the DMDK leader, whenever Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna rose to speak, prolonged clashes broke out in the House. She claimed these disputes continued for at least four hours at a time, leaving the Assembly unable to transact any other official business, with acrimonious exchanges regularly taking over between 12 noon and 2 pm.

Giving an example of how time was wasted, Premalatha highlighted an instance during a debate on grants for the Social Justice department. She stated that a question raised by a TVK member regarding what the DMK had done for Dalits caused a flutter and derailed the entire debate.

Premalatha added that although members arrive fully prepared with data and details, the Assembly allocates only about one hour a day to discuss public-related issues. Urging the government to prove its worth through development, she called for raising the standards of government school and college hostels to match private facilities, specifically seeking upgraded hostels in her constituency of Vridhachalam.