The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs walked out of the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday, accusing the DMK-led government of silencing opposition voices and denying permission to table a no-confidence motion against key ministers.
Led by party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), the AIADMK alleged that Speaker M. Appavu blocked their attempt to raise a no-confidence motion under Assembly Rule 72 against ministers K. Ponmudy, K.N. Nehru, and V. Senthil Balaji.
While exiting the Assembly, AIADMK MLAs raised slogans such as “Where is democracy? No permission to raise people’s issue,” decrying what they termed suppression of democratic debate.
Speaking to the media after the walkout, EPS said, “We submitted the no-confidence letter to the Speaker in his room. Minister K.N. Nehru and his son were under ED raids on April 7. K. Ponmudy made derogatory remarks against women and the Hindu religion. V. Senthil Balaji’s TASMAC office was also searched by the ED. Yet, our motion was not permitted for discussion.”
He stressed that similar motions had been discussed in the past, and accused the government of double standards in handling serious allegations against ministers.
Ponmudy, at the center of the controversy, had recently drawn public ire for his remarks against certain Hindu sects and women at a Dravidian event. Though he later issued an apology on April 12 and was removed from his position as DMK General Secretary, the AIADMK remains unsatisfied.
“I sincerely apologise for the inappropriate words I used… I deeply regret the lapse in judgment,” Ponmudy stated following criticism from within his party, including DMK MP Kanimozhi.
EPS also commented on the AIADMK’s revived alliance with the BJP ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Calling it a “pivotal moment,” he said the two parties had united to defeat the ruling DMK and hinted that more parties would join the alliance soon.
“Only elections will decide the strength of the alliance. Votes must not be split. We’ve aligned with like-minded parties to take on the DMK,” he said, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support.
