T.N. Speaker promises to prevent expunged remarks from being used on social media

Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar on Thursday assured to look into ways of preventing social media platforms from carrying remarks expunged from the Assembly proceedings, citing practices followed in the United States and the United Kingdom.

He was responding to DMK member E.V. Velu, who had given two letters to the Speaker on the privilege of the House. Mr. Velu pointed out while the print media had refrained from publishing expunged remarks, social media was not adhering to the practice, thereby denigrating the dignity of the House.

When the letters were submitted, the Speaker had said the issue could be considered after the Privileges Committee was formed. Mr. Velu, however, quoted Rule 225 of the Assembly Rules, which states: “If the Speaker holds that the matter raised affects the privilege or amounts to a contempt of the House and requires the intervention of the House, he may allow a motion to be made by any Member that the alleged breach of privilege be referred to the Committee of Privileges or, in the alternative, that it be dealt with by the House itself.”

Mr. Prabhakar said there was a practice in the U.S. and the U.K. under which expunged remarks were not made public even though the proceedings continued to be broadcast live. “We are studying the practice. I will also consider the issue (raised by Mr. Velu)without sending it to the Privileges Committee,” he said. Mr. Prabhakar also advised Secretaries of various departments to be present in the House when questions relating to their departments were taken up and important issues were raised.

Responding to Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, who recalled the practice of officials being present in the House during Question Hour, the Speaker referred to speeches by former Leader of the House Duraimurugan and former Speaker P.T.R. Palanivel Rajan.

Earlier, PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna said, unlike in the past, the Assembly proceedings were now broadcast live and officials were present in the “war room”.

DMK Deputy Leader K.N. Nehru said live broadcasting had always been there, but the entire proceedings were not broadcast. “When questions relating to different places are raised, the secretary sitting in the lobby can take notes. The Assembly is an important body. If the Chief Minister is not in the House, the Chief Secretary should be there,” he said.

Mr. Udhayanidhi also objected to School Education Minister Rajmohan responding to the issue of pilgrims stranded in Nepal before members had been allowed to raise the issue. A heated exchange followed between the Speaker and DMK members. The Speaker eventually allowed the Opposition members to raise the issue before the Minister responded.