Disqualified AIADMK MLAs To Approach Judiciary

The 18 rebel All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs who were
disqualified earlier today (18 September) by Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal amid the
power tussle between chief minister K Palaniswami and sidelined leader TTV Dhinakaran have said that they will approach the court against the disqualification which they dubbed as a “murder of democracy”.

“Our MLAs will move the court and we will get justice,” he told reporters at Kancheepuram district. The action against the 18 MLAs, who had revolted against
Palaniswami last month, was taken under anti-defection and disqualification rules of 1986, said a statement from Assembly Secretary K Bhoopathy. It said the rules were in accordance with the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution.
“With the Honourable Speaker ordering for the disqualification of MLAs from September 18, 2017, they have lost their membership,” of the House, the statement said.

Decrying the Speaker’s move, P Vetrivel, one of the disqualified members and Dinakaran loyalist said, “This is the height of mistakes being committed by those in power,” in an apparent reference to Palaniswami.

He said that while it was up to courts to decide if the disqualification was invalid, adding that they themselves considered it invalid. PTI