New Delhi: Tamil Nadu's major opposition party Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday moved a fresh petition before the Supreme Court seeking direction to restrain 11 AIADMK MLAs including former chief minister O Panneerselvam from entering into the state assembly as they had voted against the current Edappadi K Palaniswami government in 2017.
Highlighting the orders of the Supreme Court and Manipur High Court in the seven defected Congress MLAs' disqualification case in Manipur, the DMK said in its petition that O Panneerselvam and Tamil Development Minister Mafoi Pandiyarajan should be removed from the cabinet.
A faction comprising 11 MLAs including OPS, which voted against the EPS Government should be restrained from entering into the Assembly as the speaker had not taken a call on their matter, the plea said.
Earlier on March 18, the apex court had invoked its plenary power under Article 142 and ordered the removal of Manipur Forest Minister Th Shyamkumar Singh as he was elected with Congress ticket and defected to the BJP.
On June 8, the Manipur High Court ordered seven congress MLAs who helped the BJP to form the government in Manipur, not to step into the Assembly until further orders from the speaker. Both the apex court and the High Court had cited the Manipur speaker's silence on the matter.
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Citing the above, the DMK highlighted the Manipur case, saying that the Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker too has not taken any decision on the 11 MLAs' case despite the SC direction.
"As the Speaker has not discharged his duties, the 11 MLAs should be restrained from entering into the assembly," the DMK petition reads. It also asked the removal of deputy CM OPS and Minister Mafoi Pandiyarajan from their positions.
It should be recalled the apex court in its February 18 order urged TN Legislative Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal to take a call on the 11 MLAs' matter as they had voted against the current Edappadi K Palaniswami led Government in 2017.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court will hear DMK's prayer on June 11.
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