EPS cites Kalaignar’s Nenjukku Neethi to question DMK Bill for making CM as chancellor

CHENNAI: Treasury benches in the State Assembly were caught off guard on Saturday after Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami cited former DMK president M Karunanidhi's biography to question the incumbent regime's "double standard" on the issue of empowering Chief Minister's as the chancellors of the State.

Speaking on the resolution moved by the CM to re-adopt the 10 bills returned by the governor during the special session of the State Assembly, Palaniswami quoted the speech of late DMK minister K Anbazhagan, opposing the Bill to empower the CM as the chancellor of the varsities in the State and said that the double standard of the DMK has been exposed by it now moving a similar bill to appoint the CM as the chancellor of universities.

Justifying the bills, Leader of the House Duraimurugan said, "I have been a syndicate member of University of Madras. I have recommended three persons for the post of V-Cs. Now, even after the senate and syndicate of a university resolved to confer doctorate on late freedom fighter N Sanakariah, the governor has declined it. It is a blatant dictatorship."

Sharing an anecdote on conferring doctorate on late MGR during the DMK tenure, Duraimurugan said that the incumbent is not accepting anything recommended by the syndicate.

Rushing to his Minister's defense, Chief Minister M K Stalin said that the State government was consulted in the past in appointing the V-Cs, but now it is being violated and hence the resolution (Bill).

When EPS sought to clarify that the Bill would not have been necessitated if the DMK had supported the past Bill of the AIADMK regime, Duraimurugan intervened and said, "I have selected three VCs. Now, the scenario is different."

"I quote from page 512 of part IV of former DMK chief Kalaignar's biography Nenjukku Neethi," said an unrelenting EPS, quoting extensively from the biography to cite Karunanidhi's justification of the Opposition to the Bill for appointing CM's as chancellors of state universities.

EPS specifically quoted Karunanidhi wondering who would be the CM if president's rule is imposed in a State.

Arguing that they do not file vakalat in favour of any one, EPS argued that the double standard of the DMK has been exposed on the Bill.