Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday underlined the importance of parliamentary traditions and democratic values while addressing the Assembly after TVK legislator JCD Prabhakar was unanimously elected Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.
During his speech in the House, Vijay referred to the history of the British parliamentary system and spoke about the role Speakers played during the monarchy era in England.
The Chief Minister said Speakers in those times were entrusted with the responsibility of conveying Parliament's decisions to the King, especially when royal proposals were rejected. According to Vijay, the role often came with personal danger because monarchs then held sweeping powers, including the authority to order executions.
"The Speaker had the responsibility of informing the King whenever Parliament rejected his proposals. In those days, kings even had the power to order executions, and Speakers sometimes faced severe punishment for conveying Parliament's stand," he said.
Vijay also referred to the long-standing parliamentary tradition in which newly elected Speakers symbolically hesitate before taking the chair and are escorted to the seat by leaders from both the ruling side and the opposition.
"That tradition continues even today as a symbol of democratic values," he told the House.
Highlighting the significance of legislative institutions, Vijay said the Tamil Nadu Assembly should function as the "heart of democracy".
He also quoted former US President Abraham Lincoln and his well-known description of democracy as a government "of the people, by the people and for the people".
The Chief Minister assured the newly elected Speaker of the full cooperation of all Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam legislators and stressed that every political party, including those with only one MLA, deserved equal respect and representation inside the Assembly.
"Every member in the Assembly is equal. Legislative traditions and democratic values must be protected," Vijay said.
He further added that the government's administration should work in a manner that ensured welfare measures and governance initiatives reached a larger number of people.
JCD Prabhakar, Ravi Shankar elected unopposed
Earlier in the day, TVK MLA JCD Prabhakar was elected Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly without a contest. Party legislator M Ravi Shankar was also chosen unopposed as Deputy Speaker.
Prabhakar, who represents the Thousand Lights constituency, had submitted his nomination for the Speaker's post on Monday on behalf of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.
Ravi Shankar, the MLA from Thuraiyur constituency, filed nomination papers for the Deputy Speaker's position.
As no opposition party fielded candidates against the TVK nominees, both leaders were declared elected unopposed when the Assembly convened on Tuesday.
Assembly follows parliamentary tradition
Following established Assembly convention, Leader of the House Sengottaiyan and Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin escorted Prabhakar to the Speaker's chair after the announcement of his election.
Members from both treasury and opposition benches later congratulated the newly elected Speaker in the House.
With agency inputs