Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal on Tuesday issued notices to three AIADMK MLAs siding with rival leader and AMMK founder TTV Dhinakaran, days after the ruling party petitioned him for action against them for alleged anti-party activities.
Official sources said the Speaker issued notices to A Prabhu (Kallakurichi), VT Kalaiselvan (Vriddhachalam)and E Rathinasabapathy (Aranthangi) based on the petition filed by Chief Government whip S Rajendran seeking "due legal action" against them.
The three MLAs have been given a week's time to respond.
DMK, which has been opposing any action on the AIADMK petition, dubbed Dhanapal's move as "murder of democracy," and submitted a resolution seeking his removal from the post.
The resolution by Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and DMK chief M K Stalin was handed over to the Assembly Secretary, party leader R S Bharathi told reporters here.
The DMK and MDMK have opposed any possible disqualification of the three MLAs claiming that the AIADMK move was "only to protect" the Palaniswami government as it will 'lose' majority after the outcome of bypolls to 22 assembly seats.
Bypolls were held to 18 seats on April 18 and four more segments will go for byelections on May 19.
Stalin has last week threatened to move a no-confidence motion against the Speaker if he heeded the ruling party's plea.
The official sources Tuesday did not elaborate on the contents of the notice to the MLAs, but hinted explanation had been sought from the three in the backdrop of them publicly hobnobbing with Dhinakaran, who has floated the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam after he was sidelined by the AIADMK.