AIADMK stages walkout over Speaker's refusal to take up motion on fishermen attacked in Saudi Arabia

AIADMK legislators, led by party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami, staged a walkout from the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (August 19, 2026) after Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar refused to take up for discussion a Calling Attention Motion submitted by the party five days earlier. The motion concerned the killing of a Tamil fisherman and the injury of three others in an attack by Iranian pirates in the waters off Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to journalists at the Secretariat after the walkout, Mr. Palaniswami said the four fishermen were from Thoduvai village near Thirumullaivasal in Mayiladuthurai district. They were residing in Saudi Arabia and were engaged in fishing there. According to him, they were attacked by Iranian pirates. In the attack, Maveeran was shot dead, while Balraj, Sankar, and Manikandan sustained injuries and are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Saudi Arabia.

The AIADMK had submitted the Calling Attention Motion on August 14, 2026, with a set of urgent demands: bringing the deceased fisherman’s body back to Tamil Nadu, ensuring proper medical care for the injured, and extending appropriate livelihood assistance to the families of all four affected men. “We wanted to draw the government’s attention to this matter of urgent public importance,” Mr. Palaniswami said. He accused the government of making only verbal claims about protecting the people of Tamil Nadu. “This is a very urgent and important issue. The TVK government did not even allow us to raise the issue in the Assembly. It does not understand the pain of the family members,” he said.

Drawing a comparison with past administrations, Mr. Palaniswami said that whether under the AIADMK or the DMK, whenever Tamils were affected in other States or abroad, a Calling Attention Motion moved by any party would be immediately taken up for discussion. “But this government does not care about the issue. This is strongly condemnable,” he added.

The walkout came after the Speaker declined to schedule the motion. In legislative parlance, a Calling Attention Motion is a device used by members to draw the attention of the government to a matter of urgent public importance. The Speaker exercises discretion in admitting such motions. The AIADMK’s move to stage a walkout underscores the opposition’s strong displeasure over the refusal.

Pirate attacks have been a recurring threat in the Arabian Sea, particularly for fishing vessels and merchant ships. The Gulf region, including Saudi Arabia, hosts a significant number of Indian expatriates, and many from Tamil Nadu are employed in fishing and other maritime trades. Incidents such as this one draw attention to the security challenges faced by these workers and the need for proactive diplomatic support from the government.

The families of the injured and the deceased have reportedly remained anxious about their dependents’ safety and the arrangements for the return of the body. However, no official communication has been made available about the government’s response. As of this report, there was no immediate comment from the Speaker’s office or the government on the AIADMK’s allegations or on the demands raised through the motion.