TN Assembly adjourned after paying tributes to departed leaders

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly was adjourned for the entire day on Wednesday after members paid tributes to departed leaders and eminent personalities, a day after dramatic scenes unfolded during the opening of the year’s first Assembly session following the Governor’s walkout. The House reconvened at 9.30 a.m. on the second day of the session.

Soon after proceedings began, Speaker M. Appavu announced a condolence meeting to mourn the demise of Senthamangalam MLA and senior DMK leader Ku. Ponnusamy, who passed away due to a heart attack on October 23 last year. Members across party lines expressed their condolences, reflecting a rare moment of unanimity in the House.

Condolence references were also made to several other notable figures who died recently, including industrialist Arunachalam Vellayan, celebrated poet Erode Tamilanban, veteran film producer A.V.M. Saravanan, former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil, and a few former members of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. After the Speaker read out the obituary notes, all members stood in silence for two minutes to pay homage.

Following the tributes, the Speaker announced that the Assembly would stand adjourned for the day. The adjournment came a day after the opening of the Assembly session, which was overshadowed by a controversy involving Governor R. N. Ravi. On Tuesday, the Governor walked out of the House shortly after the Tamil Thai Vazhthu was rendered, citing the omission of the National Anthem, and left without delivering the customary address. Subsequently, Speaker Appavu read out the Governor’s address in Tamil, and the text was officially entered into the Assembly records, ensuring that constitutional formalities were completed despite the disruption.

The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly is scheduled to meet again on Thursday at 9.30 a.m. The proceedings will begin with the Question Hour. After the completion of Question Hour, the House will take up the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address.

Members from both the ruling alliance and the opposition are expected to participate in the debate, which is likely to witness sharp exchanges given the political backdrop. The discussion on the motion of thanks will conclude on Saturday, when Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is slated to reply to the debate. With the Chief Minister’s response, the current session of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly will come to an end, concluding a session that began amid high political tension and constitutional debate.