Furore in TN Assembly: Opposition alleges abrupt suspension of livestream

What began as a routine thanks motion on the Governor's address quickly descended into ugly exchanges, with the live telecast allegedly cut off mid-debate, sparking allegations of selective broadcasting.

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DMK MLA SS Sivasankar sharply criticised the Governor's address, accusing him of crediting the DMK government’s achievements to the TVK. "The DMK's achievements have been cut and pasted into the Governor's speech. Director Atlee makes films by editing scenes; this is exactly like that," he said.

He further questioned why a “shadow minister” like Aadhav Arjuna was handling law and order replies instead of the concerned minister or the chief minister.

Swipe at Vijay

DMK MLA Austin took a swipe at the Chief Minister. "Whatever happens, the one who created a 'historic revolution' will not open his mouth," he said, taking a jab at Vijay's conspicuous silence on major issues.

Also read: TN Assembly begins with state anthem, ends Governor protocol row

Exchanges turned personal and procedural, with accusations flying over law and order, education funding (a ₹3,500 crore claim), and the two-language policy.

Aadhav Arjuna hit back, questioning why a full-time politician like Sivasankar was referring to a film director. He reminded the House of Vijay’s 'impactful' short speech in Kolathur that resonated during the elections. “Our CM knows exactly when and where to speak,” he asserted.

Live broadcast stopped

Minutes into the session, a furore broke out over the alleged abrupt halting of the live broadcast of the thanks motion debate, just after the Assembly passed the unanimous special resolution opposing Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam project across the Cauvery. DMK leaders alleged this happened because Vijay could not adequately respond to pointed questions from the opposition.

A source told The Federal that the broadcast was stopped midway as the TVK government didn’t want any goof-ups during its first confrontation with the Opposition DMK.

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DMDK leader Premalatha Vijayakanth demanded complete live coverage of all Assembly proceedings, stating there should be no selective broadcasting. "There is only praise in the House. All events must be broadcast live."

Scene remains the same: AIADMK

The AIADMK too slammed the alleged suspension of the live telecast. AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s party described the move as a 'bluff,' stating that despite the change in government, the 'scene remains the same' and accused the new regime of continuing the previous practice of blackout during critical discussions.

State BJP president Nainar Nagenthran issued a strong condemnation, accusing the TVK government of breaking its own promise and resorting to the same tactics it criticised in the previous DMK regime.

Nagenthran told The Federal: “During the election campaign, Vijay promised that all Assembly proceedings would be telecast live without any hindrance. Now, the live telecast was suddenly stopped during the debate on the Governor’s address. The people of Tamil Nadu have the right to directly witness their elected representatives raising public welfare issues. Obstructing this goes against democratic traditions.”

Committed to transparency: TVK

TVK ministers and supporters, however, have maintained that the government is committed to transparency and fulfilling its mandate.

Also read: Why Vijay govt’s move to empower CMDA must come with transparency checks

A reply to Nagenthran’s post by a TVK supporter claimed that full live coverage was available on certain channels from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, suggesting the interruption narrative may be exaggerated. No official statement has yet been issued by the Assembly Secretariat explaining the precise reason for any interruption in the broadcast.

Governor's address

During his address yesterday, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar emphasised the two-language policy (Tamil and English) and praised the new government's vision. DMK MLAs, led by Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin, protested and walked out, calling the speech self-congratulatory and edited to highlight TVK achievements while glossing over issues like power cuts and farmer distress.

State Education Minister Rajmohan Arumugam claimed on the floor that Vijay had fulfilled his election promises.