Palaniswami said that denying the opposition an "honest debate" over the hooch tragedy and evicting AIADMK MLAs and suspending them goes against democracy.
Published Jun 27, 2024 | 9:56 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 27, 2024 | 9:56 AM
AIADMK leaders on hunger strike. (X)
Led by party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami, AIADMK MLAs and party workers commenced their hunger strike in Chennai on Thursday, 27 June, to seek CBI investigation into the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy.
Clad in black shirts, the AIADMK legislators, who have been suspended from the ongoing Assembly session for disrupting proceedings, began their fast here by 9 am at the Rajarathinam stadium. The fast is also to condemn “denial of permission” to raise the issue in the state Assembly, according to the main opposition party.
Palaniswami had said on Wednesday, 26 June, that “denying a honest debate” over the hooch tragedy, which has left 63 dead, and evicting and suspending AIADMK MLAs was against democracy.
The former Chief Minister condemned what he described as ‘diversionary politics’ of the DMK government rather than taking action over hooch deaths. The hunger strike is likely to end by 5 pm on Thursday.
கள்ளக்குறிச்சி கள்ளச்சாராய மரணங்கள் குறித்து எனது தலைமையிலான கழக சட்டமன்ற உறுப்பினர்கள் நேர்மையான விவாதம் நடத்த பல முறை சட்டமன்றத்தில் முயன்றும் விடியா திமுக முதல்வர் தயங்குவது ஏன்?
கள்ளச்சாராய மரணங்கள் 60-ஐ தாண்டியுள்ள நிலையில், இன்றுவரை கள்ளக்குறிச்சி சென்று மக்களை… pic.twitter.com/1NUyHlWmKJ
— Edappadi K Palaniswami – Say No To Drugs & DMK (@EPSTamilNadu) June 27, 2024
The AIADMK legislators, including the leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, were on Wednesday, 26 June, suspended from the current Assembly session for disrupting the House proceedings.
The House passed a unanimous resolution barring the AIADMK members from attending the rest of the session till 29 June.
Later after eviction, the Speaker accused the AIADMK members of coming to the House with the intention of creating trouble and not keen on participating in debates.
Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Palaniswami alleged that a deliberate attempt was made to prevent the principal opposition from raising the issue of the tragic deaths due to the consumption of spurious liquor in Kallakurichi.
“We have been struggling to raise the issue for the past five days. They said permission will be granted as per rules but they denied permission when we went by the rules,” the former CM said.
The Leader of Opposition further stated that the speaker did not act in a neutral manner, addressing the media, he said, “If you (speaker) want to talk about politics, you can resign from the post of Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and come out and talk.”
The death toll in the hooch tragedy rose to 63 on Wednesday, 26 June and over 70 people were discharged from hospitals after recovery.
Currently, about 88 persons are still undergoing treatment at government hospitals in Kallakuruchi and neighbouring districts. Apart from Kallakurichi Medical College Hospital, the victims of hooch tragedy are also admitted in Salem, Villupuram government hospitals and Puducherry JIPMER.
Meanwhile, Kishore Magwana, president of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes met the families of those who died in the hooch tragedy and paid respect to the deceased.
Tamil Nadu SC Commission Vice President Puneeth Pandian, and National Aditya Vidyarthi Commission DIG Sanmeet Kaur were also present with him. The Commission is conducting investigation in person at Kallakurichi Hospital.
Additionally, on the same day, a National Commission for Women (NCW) team led by BJP leader Khushbu met police in Kallakurichi as it began its investigation into the hooch tragedy. NCW constituted a three-member probe committee, headed by Khushbu, to submit a report on the tragedy which has claimed the lives of over 60 people including six women.
(With PTI inputs)
