DMK, allies announce boycott of TN Assembly session

Tamil Nadu's main opposition DMK and its allies including the Congress on Monday said they will boycott the ongoing Assembly session considering people's safety and to facilitate the stay of MLAs in their respective constituencies in view of the coronavirus scare in the state.

Leader of Opposition and DMK president M K Stalin in a letter to Speaker P Dhanapal said the session was being held contravening the government's campaign of social distancing to combat the spread of coronavirus.

The decision to boycott was taken considering people's safety and considering public good to facilitate MLAs to be in their respective constituencies who are in fear of the virus, the top Dravidian party leader said.

"I believe the DMK's boycott move will help in attracting the attention of the government towards preventive steps," he said.

DMK whip R Sakkarapani, Congress legislature party leader K R Ramasamy and IUML MLA K A M Muhammed Abbubacker told reporters at the Secretariat that their parties will boycott the session scheduled till March 31.

They said the decision was taken after their repeated pleas to the government to defer the proceedings went unheeded.

Sakkarapani said the move was amid the scare of spread of coronavirus in Tamil Nadu when more people were approaching hospitals in several towns.