Nainar Nagenthran questions Speaker’s neutrality over religious remarks
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran has criticised Assembly Speaker JCD Prabhakar, alleging that the Speaker’s office was being used to raise issues linked to a particular religious community.
In a post on social media, Nagenthran argued that the Speaker’s position should remain above caste and religion. He claimed that seeking community-specific reservations from the Speaker’s chair could undermine the neutrality and dignity associated with the constitutional office.
The BJP leader also alleged that the Speaker’s conduct differed from the convention of keeping political, caste and religious identities separate from the functioning of the Assembly. He said the Speaker should not use the office to put pressure on the chief minister over matters concerning a particular community.
Nagenthran also criticised Finance Minister N Marie Wilson, alleging that his Christian faith had been brought into Assembly proceedings. He referred to Wilson’s use of a rosary and references to Biblical verses while presenting the state budget.
While acknowledging that faith is a personal matter, Nagenthran claimed that religious and caste identities should not influence proceedings inside the legislature. He accused the TVK government of allowing what he described as a sectarian approach to enter Assembly affairs and called on ministers and the Speaker to preserve the dignity and neutrality of the House.