DMK wants Lok Sabha to expunge PM Modi's remarks on TN minister

DMK on Friday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking to expunge remarks made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tamil Nadu Minister E V Velu during the no-trust motion in Lok Sabha, saying they misquoted his speech.

In a letter to Birla, DMK Parliamentary Party Leader T R Baalu said Modi and Irani “misquoted” Velu’s speech made at an event in Chennai on August 5, and have misled the house. Attaching a video footage of the minister’s speech, Baalu said the reference to Velu’s remarks must be expunged from Lok Sabha records as it is “misleading, defamatory and incriminatory in nature.”

“Further, Velu is not a member of Lok Sabha and in his absence without adequate advance notice to the Speaker, no allegations can be made by both of them. Thus, the reference made by them relating to alleged speech of Velu are against the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and therefore needs to be expunged,” the letter said.

Modi was referring to Velu’s alleged speech in which he said, "India is some place in north India.” He also said it is unfortunate that such a speech was coming from a state that gave the country C Rajagopalachari, K Kamaraj, M G Ramachandran, and A P J Abdul Kalam.