Chennai, Feb 20 (The Indian Express): DMK on Monday moved the Madras High Court challenging the trust vote proceedings that took place in Tamil Nadu Assembly on Saturday. Chief Minister E Palaniswami had called for a trust vote in the Assembly on Saturday after Governor C Vidyasagar Rao gave him a period of 15 days to prove his majority in the Assembly.

Palaniswami was sworn in as the CM on Thursday after AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala, who was engaged in a power tussle with former CM O Panneerselvam for the position, was convicted by the Supreme Court in disproportionate assets case and sentenced to four years in prison.

However, the Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed violent protest from leaders of Opposition DMK who were seen heckling P Dhanapala, the Speaker, in footage aired by news channel Jaya TV, that’s controlled by the Sasikala camp. The media, on the contrary, was banned from covering the proceedings.

The session was adjourned twice by the Speaker because of ruckus and DMK members were expelled from the Assembly. As the marshals tried to escort them out of the Assembly, the situation turned more violent. Later, the DMK leaders tried to sir on a hunger strike at Marina Beach.

The party, along with Congress and O Panneerselvam, demanded that the trust vote be organised by a secret ballot but Speaker Dhanapala rejected the demand. On Monday, Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao sought a factual report from the Assembly Secretary on the unsavoury incidents witnessed in the Assembly.