Chennai (Tamil Nadu)

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MLAs on Monday staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly after claiming that they were not permitted to raise issues during the Zero Hour, which led to a brief disruption in the House proceedings.

AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said the opposition was denied an opportunity to speak despite repeated requests to highlight public issues.

He stated, "In the zero hour today, the Speaker have not allowed us to speak. So we have walked out. We are not given a chance to speak inside the assembly. We asked the speaker to give us a chance to speak on the issues of the public. We are denied the chance to speak."

Further, DMK and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLAs also urged the Speaker to take up the Tiruvallur ammonia gas leak incident for detailed discussion during the ongoing session, seeking accountability and a comprehensive report on the safety lapse.

The protest came amid demands from multiple parties, including DMK and Left legislators, seeking a discussion on the ammonia gas leak incident reported at a seafood processing unit in Tiruvallur district. The death toll in the ammonia gas leak incident rose to five, while 67 people are currently undergoing treatment and remain under medical observation.

As this happened, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly JCD Prabhakar responded in the House, assuring that members would be given time to raise the issue.

He said, "On the incident of ammonia gas leak at a Seafood Processing Unit, DMK, AIADMK, and several other members have demanded a discussion on it in the Assembly. I will give a chance to the opposition members to speak."

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The opposition has been pressing for an urgent debate in the Assembly over the incident, citing concerns regarding worker safety and environmental impact in the affected area.