War of words, ‘photos and loyalties’ debate erupts in Tamil Nadu assembly over shifting alliances
Sengottaiyan hit out at Panneerselvam and said "Just because you have shifted alliance, it does not mean you should sing paeans for your new leader."
The Tamil Nadu Assembly experienced a contentious debate on Tuesday as former chief minister O Panneerselvam clashed with members of the ruling party over shifting political allegiances. Panneerselvam, who had previously joined the DMK before the Assembly polls, complained that the TVK government had failed to fulfill key electoral promises, especially the increased financial assistance for women and the annual provision of six free LPG cylinders.
He argued that the government should have presented these promises as flagship schemes, but instead, they were neglected, leading to public disappointment.
Leader of the House K A Sengottaiyan defended the government's commitment to its five-year mandate and challenged Panneerselvam to provide examples of his accomplishments during his own tenure. This exchange quickly turned personal, with members hurling accusations over changing political loyalties. Sengottaiyan pointed out that Panneerselvam himself had previously switched political camps (from AIADMK to TVK), while the latter reminded Sengottaiyan of his own history of changing parties.
The debate took an unusual turn when School Education Minister A Rajmohan drew attention to the personal items carried by Members of the Opposition, specifically mentioning Sengottaiyan's photograph of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in his shirt pocket. Panneerselvam countered by asserting that he and other Dravidian leaders like Periyar, Anna, M Karunanidhi, M G Ramachandran, and Jayalalithaa had not changed their loyalties.
He defended his allegiance to the Dravidian movement and the struggle championed by former Chief Minister M K Stalin for state rights.
Panneerselvam insisted that he was not attempting to mislead the public and maintained his unwavering support for the Dravidian ideology and its champions. The Speaker intervened to remove certain remarks from the official record and called for the debate to return to its proper course.
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