All parties should get equal respect in assembly, says Tamil Nadu CM Vijay

CHENNAI: Chief minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday said the Assembly must function as a forum where even parties with a single MLA receive the same respect and opportunity as the ruling benches, while congratulating newly elected Speaker J.

C. D. Prabhakar and Deputy Speaker M. Ravishankar in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. “Even parties with a single member in the House should be given the same respect as the ruling party members, and democracy must function by accepting what is good and rejecting what is not,” Vijay said in his address after the Speaker’s unanimous election. Delivering his speech in the Assembly, Vijay said democracy can thrive only when all voices in the House are heard equally, irrespective of numerical strength.

He said opinions expressed by smaller parties should be given the same importance as those raised by members of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The chief minister also explained the centuries-old British parliamentary tradition in which the Speaker is escorted to the chair by the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition. Recalling the origins of the practice in the British Parliament during the monarchy era, Vijay said the Speaker’s role was historically considered risky because the person had to convey Parliament’s rejection of the King’s wishes directly to the monarch.

According to Vijay, kings who were displeased with Parliament rejecting their proposals often punished Speakers severely, at times even ordering capital punishment. Since many feared accepting the post, newly elected Speakers would attempt to avoid taking the chair, prompting parliamentary leaders to escort them to their seat. Although democracy later evolved in England, the ceremonial tradition continued and was adopted in Westminster-style parliamentary systems, including India’s legislatures. Vijay said the treasury benches would fully cooperate with the Speaker in maintaining the dignity, decorum and democratic traditions of the House. He also expressed confidence that both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker, who come from modest backgrounds, would uphold parliamentary values and protect the Assembly’s reputation.