Chennai, Jan 24 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly has been adjourned sine die on Saturday, with Speaker M. Appavu announcing the dissolution of the session without fixing a date for its next sitting.

The decision brought to a close the year’s first Assembly session, which was marked by political tension and controversy surrounding the Governor’s address.

The session commenced on January 20 with the customary address by the Governor. However, the proceedings took an unexpected turn at the very outset when the Governor declined to read his prepared speech and walked out of the House, citing the absence of the national anthem at the beginning of the programme.

In Tamil Nadu, it has long been the established practice to begin Assembly proceedings with the Tamil Thai Vazhthu and conclude with the national anthem — a convention followed for decades.

After the Assembly met for three consecutive days on Saturday, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin replied to the motion of thanks for the Governor’s address. The principal opposition party, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), chose to boycott the House during the Chief Minister’s response, alleging bias and procedural impropriety.

In his address, Stalin stated he was compelled to provide clarifications in the Assembly, since it was constitutionally mandated to respond to the Governor’s address. He accused the Governor of disregarding democratic conventions, stressing that the elected government had both the responsibility and the authority to place its position on record before the legislature and the people.

The Chief Minister went on to outline the key achievements and welfare initiatives of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government. He listed a range of social sector programmes and made fresh announcements aimed at part-time teachers, anganwadi workers, and employees involved in nutrition schemes, reiterating his government’s commitment to social justice and inclusive development.

Concluding his speech, Stalin expressed confidence that the DMK would return to power in the next Assembly elections, asserting that the government’s performance and welfare-oriented governance would earn renewed public support.

With the completion of the Chief Minister’s reply and no further legislative business scheduled, Speaker Appavu formally declared the Assembly adjourned sine die, effectively ending the first session of the year without specifying when the House would reconvene.

–IANS

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