Telecast entire Assembly proceedings live, demands EPS

CHENNAI: Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Monday urged the state government to air the entire proceedings of the Legislative Assembly live.

Participating in the debate on the demand for grants for the Home Department, Palaniswami said that they had raised the demand even when the session was held at Kalaivanar Arangam earlier, but the Speaker had said that infrastructure must be developed to air it live.

“Not all speeches are aired live. Only the speech of the Chief Minister is aired live,” he alleged.

Speaker M Appavu clarified that the Chief Minister has fulfilled the poll promise and they give all live feeds, but it was the choice of the television channels to air them.

The Chief Minister also reiterated the point for which EPS demanded impartial airing of the Assembly proceedings.

Appavu intervened again and said that the LoP has not raised any questions during question hour.

Deputy Leader of Opposition O Panneerselvam also intervened in the issue and asked the Speaker to air the House proceedings from the beginning to end. The House chair said that steps were being taken in this regard.

‘Enact new law to ban online rummy’

LoP Palaniswami also asked the government to enact new legislation to ban online rummy for which state Law Minister S Regupathy clarified that the government went on appeal against the Madras High Court verdict based on the advice of the advocate general of Tamil Nadu.

Palaniswami recalled the HC order providing for the enactment of a new law and said that appeals have just been numbered and many people have died in the interim, hence the government should enact a new law to ban online rummy, he urged.