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AIADMK MLA and former minister R.B. Udhayakumar criticized the Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker for denying the opposition an opportunity to raise a no-confidence motion on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Udhayakumar said the AIADMK had submitted a letter addressed to the Speaker requesting permission to introduce a no-confidence motion. "The Speaker acknowledged receipt and assured he would consider it. However, even after the Question Hour, we were not given a chance to speak," he said. AIADMK sought to move no-confidence motions against several ministers, including senior DMK leader KN Nehru, following recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against him and his son, MP Arun Nehru. Udhayakumar said, "The ED has released statements about the investigation, yet we are being denied the right to discuss this inside the Assembly. This is not a discussion against the nation." Furthermore, he also cited the recent controversial speech by K Ponmudy, former Deputy General Secretary of DMK, which was derogatory and "vulgar" against women and certain sects of Hinduism. "Tamil culture has always held women in high regard. It is unacceptable for a minister who made such remarks to continue in office. We strongly condemn this," he added. The AIADMK leader further criticized Minister Senthil Balaji and reiterated the party's demand to move no-confidence motions against all three ministers. Udhayakumar also accused the DMK of double standards, referring to past policy decisions made during the tenure of former CM Karunanidhi. "The current government is raising concerns about education being moved to the Concurrent List, but when they were in power and they remained silent," he said. Udhayakumar alleged that democratic norms were being violated in the House. "Even after the Chief Minister's statement, the Speaker refused to allow us to speak. We see this as an act of killing democracy. In the Tamil Nadu Assembly today, democracy itself is under question," he said. (ANI)
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