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TN CM rejects Opposition’s suggestion to adjourn Assembly session

DMK President and Leader of Opposition MK Stalin had demanded that the TN Assembly be adjourned over coronavirus concerns.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday emphasised his stand against adjourning the Assembly session due to coronavirus fears.

Amid restrictions imposed by the state government across Tamil Nadu to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the Leader of the Opposition MK Stalin had wanted the Assembly to be adjourned since it would enable MLAs to be present in their own constituencies and serve the people in the times of a pandemic. Stalin had raised this issue during the Zero Hour in the Assembly on Friday, which led to lengthy exchanges between the ruling party and the opposition, as per reports. 

Stalin pointed out that Odisha and Uttarakhand had adjourned state assemblies, and also stated that Prime Minister Narandra Modi himself has been advocating for people to stay inside their homes and not venture out. To this the Chief Minister responded by stating that continuing the Assembly session will allay fears among the general public around COVID-19. 

Pointing to the four meetings he had chaired so far to review the precautionary measures taken by the state against coronavirus, the Chief Minister said that adjourning the assembly might end up making people panic. 

Further, in the Business Advisory Committee meeting convened on Friday afternoon by Speaker P Dhanapal, there was no consensus on the matter of adjournment. While DMK and Congress members demanded that the house be adjourned, AIADMK MLAs stood by the Chief Minister’s decision to not adjourn the Assembly. 

Tamil Nadu meanwhile has shut its borders with its three neighbouring states — Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh — and restricted movement of vehicles to just essential commodities. The restriction will be in place till March 31, in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus. 

Source: The News Minute