Karunaas wants to move resolution to remove Dhanapal from TN assembly speaker post

CHENNAI: Actor and Thiruvadanai MLA S Karunaas on Wednesday sent a letter to Tamil Nadu assembly secretary K Srinivasan expressing his intention to move a resolution seeking removal of P Dhanapal from the post of speaker.The Mukkalathor Pulipadai leader, who has been admitted to a private hospital here following a chest pain, marked a copy of the letter to Dhanapal. The legal team of MLA had handed over the letters in person, his associates told TOI.“I invoke Rule 68 of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Rules under Article 179 (C) of the Indian Constitution for the removal of P Dhanapal from the office of honourable speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly,” Karunaas said in the two-page letter.The MLA said under Rule 68, he intended to move the resolution under Article 179 (C) of the Constitution by giving a 14-day notice.He requested the secretary to include the resolution on the list of business for the leave of the House to move the said resolution to remove Dhanapal from the post.The move comes close on the heels of discussions in the ruling AIADMK to issue a show-cause notice to Karunaas on why action should not be taken to disqualify him for siding with rebel leader T T V Dhinakaran. Karunaas won the Thiruvadanai seat after contesting the 2016 assembly election on the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol when former party chief J Jayalalithaa was alive.In an interview to TOI on Tuesday, Karunaas said if probed, he would reveal the events in the Koovathur resort, which resulted in the formation of the Edappadi K Palaniswami government by jailed leader V K Sasikala.