The Madras High Court on Monday issued a notice to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanswami, Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal and Assembly secretary in connection with the ruckus during the floor test on February 18. The home secretary will file a counter affidavit by March 10, reported ANI.
The court has also asked for video footage from the Assembly’s trust vote, reported India Today. The bench of Acting Chief Justice Huluvadi Ramesh and Justice R Mahadevan was hearing a plea filed by the Opposition party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.
The DMK had moved the high court on February 20, two days after violence marred the floor test. Party’s Working President MK Stalin had asked the court to declare the trust vote null and void. After DMK members were expelled and the Congress had walked out, it was a clear win for Palaniswami. He won 122-11 in the floor test. However, the legitimacy of the vote was questioned from that day itself.
The DMK had said that its legislators were injured by security personnel and Stalin pointed out an unusually large deployment of police personnel at the Assembly that day. The DMK had protested after Speaker P Dhanapal rejected their demand for a secret ballot.
Palaniswami was appointed All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief VK Sasikala’s successor after she was convicted in an illegal assets case. The political crisis in the state started when former Chief Minister Panneerselvam revolted against Sasikala, who was set to become chief minister before the verdict in the disproportionate assets case.
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