Ruckus in TN Assembly over hooch tragedy; AIADMK MLAs suspended
Members of the opposition party, AIADMK, were suspended from the Tamil Nadu Assembly for a day on Tuesday. The suspension came after they attempted to raise the issue of the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy during Question Hour, causing chaos in the House. Speaker M Appavu ordered their eviction following these disturbances.
Chief Minister accuses AIADMK of deliberate disruptions
Chief Minister and DMK chief MK Stalin accused the AIADMK MLAs of intentionally causing disturbances in the Assembly. "They should have stayed back for the discussion. They deliberately wanted to create chaos," he stated. Despite his request for their presence during discussions on Kallakurichi, disruptions continued, forcing Speaker Appavu to evict them from the assembly.
Stalin links disruptions to recent political developments
Stalin linked the assembly disruptions to recent political events, specifically the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance's sweep in the Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu. "Our victory in the Lok Sabha elections has affected the AIADMK badly. They are indulging in these activities (disrupting House proceedings) to make people forget about our victory," he said. The INDIA bloc won all 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu.
Investigation and arrests in Kallakurichi hooch tragedy
Stalin announced that a retired judge would investigate the hooch tragedy, which is also being probed by Crime Branch-Crime Investigation Department. He revealed that around 20 people have been arrested in connection with the incident, with efforts ongoing to apprehend other suspects. The tragedy has claimed 58 lives so far, according to the government's report.
AIADMK criticizes government's response to hooch tragedy
AIADMK legislators, who had previously staged a walkout from the Assembly over the hooch tragedy, demanded CM Stalin's resignation. The party's General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami criticized the state government's response to the incident. He accused the government of lethargy and blamed it for delays in treating victims, stating that 55 people had died and 183 were affected according to their information.
Judicial inquiry and compensation announced for victims
The Tamil Nadu government has ordered a judicial inquiry into the hooch tragedy, to be led by retired Madras High Court judge Justice B Gokuldas. The CB-CID of Tamil Nadu police, under SP Shantharam, has also commenced a probe. Chief Minister Stalin announced a compensation of ₹10 lakh for each victim's family, with those under treatment set to receive ₹50,000 each.
