'Cash for Vote' MLA sting: DMK, Congress stage walkout from TN Assembly

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], June 15 (ANI): Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M.K. Stalin raised the issue of the 'Cash for Vote' MLA sting in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Thursday for the second consecutive day. On Speaker P. Dhanapal's refusal to discuss the topic on the floor of the House, the DMK and the Congress staged a walkout from the Assembly. After the walkout, Stalin addressed the media and said, "Today again I was denied permission to raise MLA sting issue in the Assembly by the Speaker. In protest, we staged a walkout." "We have sought an appointment with the Governor. He is out of town. We will meet him soon as he is back," he added. Stalin further said that the current All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) government should be dissolved. " They should go for a CBI investigation to prove themselves that if they are clean," he added. Yesterday, the Tamil Nadu Assembly saw a huge showdown between the ruling AIADMK and the DMK over the MLAs sting operation in a session, which was earlier being expected to be crucial for paving the way for the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill on July 1. Though the bill was tabled in the Assembly and passed successfully, a ruckus was created when Stalin raised the issue of "cash for MLA" expose, carried out few days before by a Engligh news channel. Dhanapal refused to discuss the issue on the floor of the House as it was subjudice. He further said the issue cannot be discussed also because there was no major proof to substantiate it as it only came out in the media. Following this, the DMK MLAs showed pamphlets written "MLAs for sale" over them as a mark of protest against the Speaker's assertions. Dhanapal supported his statements by citing the Nira Radia tape case that happened in the DMK's regime. The Assembly came to a stalemate following which the policemen tried to take the protesting DMK MLAs out of the Assembly. The DMK MLAs then, led by Stalin, took to the streets to raise slogans against the AIADMK - 'MLAs for Sale'. A sting operation by an English news channel had revealed that all the AIADMK MLAs were lured in by cash and gold by the rival Sasikala camp to support Chief Minister Edapadi K. Palanisamy in the February trust vote conducted in Tamil Nadu Assembly. Palanisamy won the trust vote held in the state assembly on the back of support offered by 122 AIADMK legislators. South Madurai MLA Saravanan, who had deflected to the OPS faction, admitted on camera that Sasikala camp offered him money between Rs. 2 crore to 6 crore for his support. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) severely criticised the ruling AIADMK government over the matter alleging that the party's inter-relationship was purchased and not natural. (ANI)