AIADMK general secretary and Leader of the Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Monday used the row over Governor R.N. Ravi’s address to reiterate his demand for the allotment of a seat in the front row of the Opposition benches to AIADMK deputy floor leader R.B. Udhayakumar.
Addressing the media, Mr Palaniswami expressed the hope that Assembly Speaker M. Appavu, who underscored the importance of adhering to conventions with regard to the Governor’s address to the House, would follow suit when it comes to the seating arrangement for Mr. Udhayakumar – an issue his party has repeatedly raised with the presiding officer.
However, he refused to get drawn into the debate over whether Mr. Ravi was seeking to set a new convention regarding the rendering of the national anthem at the beginning of the Governor’s address. “It is a matter among the Governor, the Speaker [M. Appavu] and the government. You need to ask them,” he told journalists outside the Assembly Chamber.
