A day after Tamil Nadu assembly Speaker P Dhanapal suspended 80 DMK legislators for a week, the MLAs, including leader of the opposition M K Stalin, on Thursday staged a sit-in protest outside the assembly after an argument with security personnel who didn't let them in.
There was a heavy police presence on the assembly premises. Gate No 4 to the assembly was locked by the guards.
Stalin, senior leader S Durai Murugan and others asked the security guards to allow him to enter the DMK chamber in the House.
"We have only been suspended, but we are MLAs. We don't know why they are not letting us inside," DMK MLA and former school education minister Thangam Thennarasu said.
The DMK MLAs argued with the security personnel, who in turn pleaded that they had got instructions not to allow the MLAs. The furious MLAs asked the guards to show them the written order, if any.
Soon they staged a sit-in protest outside the assembly. Stalin also joined the protest.
"It is not our intention to go into the assembly hall, but we would like to go to the chamber allotted to the DMK in the assembly complex," DMK MLA and former Chennai Corporation Mayor M Subramanian told reporters.
Polur MLA KV Sekar said he didn't attend the assembly on Wednesday, but his name had been registered as present.
"I was in Puducherry for a personal work yesterday. But I have also been stopped from entering the assembly. I condemn the assembly speaker's dictatorial approach."
Several mediapersons too were not allowed to enter the assembly premises.
Meanwhile, the assembly session began with question hour, and DMK MLAs, who were not suspended by the Chair on Wednesday, including M R K Panneerselvam, K N Nehru and I Periasamy, participated.
The speaker refused to withdraw the suspension order, despite requests from DMK allies, Congress and IUML.
Following this, opposition MLAs - seven DMK, six Congress and one IUML legislators - walked out of the assembly.
There was a heavy police presence on the assembly premises. Gate No 4 to the assembly was locked by the guards.
Stalin, senior leader S Durai Murugan and others asked the security guards to allow him to enter the DMK chamber in the House.
"We have only been suspended, but we are MLAs. We don't know why they are not letting us inside," DMK MLA and former school education minister Thangam Thennarasu said.
The DMK MLAs argued with the security personnel, who in turn pleaded that they had got instructions not to allow the MLAs. The furious MLAs asked the guards to show them the written order, if any.
Soon they staged a sit-in protest outside the assembly. Stalin also joined the protest.
"It is not our intention to go into the assembly hall, but we would like to go to the chamber allotted to the DMK in the assembly complex," DMK MLA and former Chennai Corporation Mayor M Subramanian told reporters.
Polur MLA KV Sekar said he didn't attend the assembly on Wednesday, but his name had been registered as present.
"I was in Puducherry for a personal work yesterday. But I have also been stopped from entering the assembly. I condemn the assembly speaker's dictatorial approach."
Several mediapersons too were not allowed to enter the assembly premises.
Meanwhile, the assembly session began with question hour, and DMK MLAs, who were not suspended by the Chair on Wednesday, including M R K Panneerselvam, K N Nehru and I Periasamy, participated.
The speaker refused to withdraw the suspension order, despite requests from DMK allies, Congress and IUML.
Following this, opposition MLAs - seven DMK, six Congress and one IUML legislators - walked out of the assembly.