CM hoodwinking students on Lankan Tamils issue: AIADMK

The opposition AIADMK today launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister N Rangasamy alleging that he was attempting to hoodwink the students on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue. Party's local unit secretary A Anbalagan MLA said refusal of permission to members in the Assembly yesterday to speak on the resolution Rangasamy had tabled to urge the Centre to support the US backed resolution against Sri Lanka in UNHRC had deprived legislators of their rights to air their views.

He said AIADMK had written to Speaker V Sabapathy some time ago to ensure the House adopted a resolution. But Rangasamy himself had tabled it and the Speaker had announced the motion was adopted unanimously without ascertaining the views of members through a debate. The Speaker's 'abrupt' decision was a violation of the Conduct of Business Rules relating to the Assembly, he said.

Had a debate taken place AIADMK would have sought certain amendments to the contents of the resolution and broad based contentions of the resolution. But Rangasamy had 'hoodwinked' students by feigning to be champion of Sri Lankan Tamils cause by bringing in a weak resolution, he said, adding that Rangasamy had only acted to cover up weaknesses of DMK and Congress on the issue.

Anbalagan said government had also let down farmers of Karaikal region. The Chief Minister should implead along with Tamil Nadu in procuring the rights in the Cauvery river system by filing petition in the Supreme Court for a management and monitoring committee to implement the tribunal's final award.

He also described as `insipid, anemic and directionless` the address of Lt Governor Iqbal Singh at the House yesterday. Lt Governor seems to be playing second fiddle to all the weak governance of the Chief Minister, Anbalagan said.