Hours after Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker M Thambidurai urged newly appointed AIADMK General Secretary VK Sasikala to take over the chief ministership of Tamil Nadu, DMK Treasurer MK Stalin termed Thambidurai’s statements as undemocratic.
“I am shocked to see Deputy Speaker Thambidurai’s statement that VK Sasikala should take over as CM. This goes against political tradition and greatly reduces democracy,” Stalin said in a statement on Monday.
“Considering the unusual circumstances, the TN governor agreed to the AIADMK’s arrangement and swore in O Paneerselvam as the CM late at night. Overnight after Jayalalithaa’s death, the AIADMK MLAs were separately taken in buses so that they could elect O Paneerselvam as the Tamil Nadu CM. Even though there were many practical difficulties in doing this, keeping the state’s welfare in mind and fact that the state’s functioning should not be impaired, the opposition party DMK kept peace,” the Leader of Opposition of the TN state assembly said.
Apart from Thambidurai, Stalin also criticised the Council of Ministers who made similar statements and said they undermined the position of the present CM. He also said that the council of ministers failed to understand their responsibilities as ministers.
“Under these circumstances, within 10 days of OPS taking up the CM’s post, statements like ‘OPS will give up his post and ‘Sasikala should become the CM’ have been made by AIADMK ministers who have not understood the responsibilities of the council of ministers,” he said.
He also added that their statements “insulted” the governor who swore in the Chief Minister by law.
“It has undermined the legal process through which the CM was sworn in. It is shameful that he has used the letter head of the Deputy Speaker to issue the statement,” he added.
Stalin went on to urge the Governor to ask OPS to prove his majority in the legislative assembly. He also hit out at Thambidurai requesting him from misusing his official post to prove his loyalty to the AIADMK.
Source: The News Minute