Former Speaker Pandian with 'sky-high powers’ no more

His wife, a renowned educationist Cynthia Pandian, who was the Vice-Chancellor of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, had predeceased him in January 2018. A four-time MLA, Pandian, who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Tirunelveli in 1999, has been undergoing treatment at CMC Vellore and later at the Sri Ramachandra Medical Centre at suburban Porur for the last few months. He died of heart failure around 9 am, hospital sources said.

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, accompanied by Ministers, visited his house in the city and paid homage. Later, he told reporters that Pandian, as a reputed lawyer, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Lok Sabha member, had carved a niche for himself in conducting the House proceedings as per the tradition and norms.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, DMK president MK Stalin, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss condoled his death. Several Ministers and AIADMK leaders also condoled Pandian’s death.

S Balasubramanian Adityan, Director, Daily Thanthi group of publications, also paid respects to the departed leader

“It is a big loss for the AIADMK party. We could not evade our memories of PH Pandian’s stint as Speaker. It is not only a loss to the AIADMK, but, also for the TN people,” Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar told the media.

Information Minister Kadambur Raju said, “Pandian’s death will be the biggest loss to the people of southern Tamil Nadu and the AIADMK.”

DMK Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate P Wilson also expressed his condolences. “Senior Advocate and former Speaker PH Pandian is no more. My deep condolences and may his soul rest in peace,” Wilson tweeted.

A close associate of MGR right from the founding days of the AIADMK by him, Pandian had served as Assembly Speaker from 1985 to 1989 during which he proclaimed that the Speaker has `sky-high’ powers.

He had used his powers after Tamil weekly magazine Vikatan published a cartoon critical of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly under MGR. As the Speaker, Pandian served a notice to the magazine’s editor Balasubramanian. The editor appeared before the Speaker, but Pandian demanded an apology. After Balasubramanian refused, Pandian ordered him to be jailed for three months. The incident during the late 80s had hit the headlines.

When the matter went to the Madras High Court, it served Pandian a notice. He refused to accept the notice and claimed that the Speaker had sky-high powers. He was also elected to the State Assembly from his native Cheranmadevi constituency in Tirunelveli district in the 1977, 1980, 1984 and 1989 elections.

He had also served as Deputy Speaker from 1980 to 1984.

Pandian was one of the only two candidates elected to the State Assembly, representing the Janaki Ramachandran faction in the 1989 elections when the AIADMK suffered a vertical split after the death of MGR.

He was one of the senior leaders who opposed VK Sasikala within the party after the death of Jayalalithaa in December 2016 and was the first leader to join the faction led by O Panneerselvam after he revolted against her.

Pandian also hit out against Sasikala’s chief ministerial candidacy in February 2017, asserting that she was unfit for the post. He also openly raised suspicions over Jayalalithaa’s death claiming that she had died under unnatural circumstances. Pandian and his son Manoj Pandian had alleged that Jayalalithaa was involved in a heated argument with someone in Poes Garden and poisoned on the day of her admission to the hospital. But they failed to consolidate their claim.

The senior leader was a Nadar and the face of the other backward class community in the Mukkulathor and Gounder-dominated AIADMK party.

Pandian was also a lawyer, who practised at the Madras HC. When AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa faced several cases relating to assets, Pandian served as her legal adviser in the late 90s.