Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Accuses Assembly Speaker of Religious Bias
Tamil Nadu BJP Chief Accuses Assembly Speaker of Religious Bias
Nainar Nagenthran alleged that Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar compromised the neutrality of his office by invoking religious identity during Assembly proceedings.
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran on Saturday accused Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar of compromising the neutrality of his constitutional office by bringing religious identity into legislative proceedings.
In a social-media post that tagged the Speaker and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, Nagenthran objected to Prabhakar using the Speaker’s chair to seek reservation for a section of his religious community.
The BJP leader said the Speaker’s office must remain above caste and religion. He alleged that advocating for one community from the chair damaged the dignity and neutrality associated with the post.
Nagenthran argued that the conduct departed from the convention under which Assembly Speakers maintain political, caste and religious neutrality. He said a Speaker should not use a constitutional office to direct the Chief Minister on matters involving a particular faith.
The BJP also criticized Minister Maria Wilson. The party alleged that Wilson openly invoked his Christian faith during proceedings, including by presenting the State budget with a rosary and quoting verses from the Bible.
Nagenthran said personal faith belongs to the private sphere but claimed that introducing caste and religious identities into Assembly business undermined the legislature’s sanctity.
He accused the TVK government of allowing a sectarian approach to enter the Assembly and called on the Speaker and ministers to preserve the dignity and neutrality of the House.
(V.Sørensen--DTZ)
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