Ramachandran expulsion: AIADMK hands over letter to Assembly Secretary

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, NOV. 24. The Pondicherry AIADMK committee secretary, Mr. K. Natarajan, today presented to the Assembly Secretary, Mr. M. Sivaprakasam, a letter informing him of the removal of Mr. M. D. R. Ramachandran, Speaker, from primary membership of the party. The letter was addressed by the AIADMK general secretary, Ms. Jayalalithaa.

Mr. Natarajan told newsmen here that he had also presented to the official another letter from the party leader informing him of the appointment of Mr. A. Kasilingam as Legislature party leader and Mr. A. Anbalagan as the deputy leader.

Mr. Natarajan charged Mr. Ramachandran with having adopted `opportunist' policies as could be seen from the ``disrespect'' he showed to the high command which asked him to quit office as Speaker.

The election of the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker was the duty of the Chief Minister. The post of Speaker could not be said to be above politics. For, only a member contesting a poll on party ticket and winning held the office, Mr. Natarajan said. The Congress should divest Mr. Ramachandran of the post, Mr. Natarajan reiterated. There was a clear intimation to the Lt. Governor on November 13 that the three-member AIADMK (comprising Mr. Ramachandran, Mr. A. Kasilingam and Mr. A. Anbalagan) had withdrawn support to the Congress Ministry.

Speaker explains

Meanwhile, in a statement yesterday, Mr. Ramachandran, said he had held discussions with the Legislative Assembly Secretary and a few other experts on legal provisions after he was directed by the AIADMK high command on November 12 to quit the post.

As he was called to Chennai all of a sudden, he could not give details of the legal provisions involved. But during a discussion held the next day, he understood that the Speaker should tender resignation only to the Deputy Speaker and none had the power or authority to accept it. (The post of Deputy Speaker is vacant as Mr. M. Chandhirakasu became Minister after quitting the post).

Mr. Ramachandran said he had explained the position to Mr. Natarajan and Mr. Sengottaiyan, secretary of the headquarters committee, when the latter contacted him on November 13.

The Speaker said the position was made clear again to the high command on Thursday, and that he also told the headquarters that he would meet `Amma` after resigning the post.

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