Chennai sources have reported that the alleged payment of bribes to a Tamil Nadu Minister and officials for sale of banned gutkha yesterday had rocked the state assembly with the DMK leading an opposition walkout after being denied permission to raise it. Meanwhile DMK members, waving newspaper clippings, raised slogans demanding a debate, but Speaker P Dhanapal ruled that matters based on media reports cannot be discussed.
He also expunged a reference made by Leader of
the Opposition MK Stalin. Moreover, when opposing the speaker's ruling, DMK and
its allies Congress and the lone IUML member had staged a walkout. Previously,
Mr. Stalin mentioned about searches held by the Income Tax Department against a
gutkha manufacturer here. When he went on to make some references, the Speaker
said he cannot allow him to go ahead further on the matter based on media
reports which were not 'evidence'.
According to sources it was stated that the issue has surfaced after a media
report recently claimed the IT department had seized documents detailing
alleged payment of bribes during a search of premises of a gutkha manufacturer
last year.
