Actor-Turned-AIADMK MLA Karunas Sends Notice Seeking Removal of TN Speaker

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posted on 6 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Karunas’ move comes at a time when the Speaker is mulling action against him and three other AIADMK MLAs who have pledged support to TTV Dinakaran.

Chennai: Actor-turned-AIADMK MLA S Karunas has sent a notice to the Secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly, seeking the removal of Speaker P Dhanapal under Article 179(c) of the Constitution.

Karunas has also marked a copy of the notice to the Speaker. He has requested the Secretary's office to move the resolution as per Rule 68 of the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly.

In the notice, Karunas said: "Mr P Dhanapal is not acting in accordance with the Constitution and legal principles. He is acting in a biased and partisan manner while conducting assembly proceedings as well as discharging the constitutional duties as a Speaker. He is not acting as an independent authority who is holding a high constitutional position. There are numerous acts of Mr. P Dhanapal demonstrating that he is not fit to hold the Office of the Honourable Speaker of the Tamil Nadu State Legislative Assembly. Moreover, he is also acting in a partisan and biased manner in the matters relating to the 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution."

Karunas’ move comes at a time when the Speaker is mulling action against him and three other AIADMK MLAs who have pledged support to TTV Dinakaran. There were discussions on this in the Speaker's chamber in the Secretariat where senior ministers were also present and before this, the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister had also called on the Speaker.

On Tuesday, DMK President MK Stalin, too, alleged that the state government is planning to disqualify Karunas to overcome the crisis that is likely to arise out of the case concerning disqualification of 18 MLAs. In a statement, Stalin said: “As the verdict on the 18 MLAs disqualification case is expected, the state government is planning to disqualify Karunas to survive the crisis and avoid a no confidence motion. Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswamy's move is highly condemnable."

A criminal case was filed against Karunas for making controversial statements about the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister and a senior police officer. He also allegedly made casteist remarks and was arrested, but is now out on conditional bail. Karunas contested under the AIADMK symbol in 2016 Assembly elections.