I leave it to the MLAs to decide whether they should get up when the Chief Minister arrives, says Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker
The Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker has stated that MLAs are not strictly required to stand when the Chief Minister enters the House, emphasizing that it is a matter of personal choice. This follows a debate regarding legislative decorum and traditional respect for the presiding officer versus the head of government.
Why it matters
The debate highlights tensions regarding political etiquette and the interpretation of legislative traditions in Indian state assemblies.
Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar said on Monday (August 17, 2026) that it was up to the MLAs to decide whether or not to stand up when the Chief Minister arrived in the House.
He said, “When the Assembly convenes, there is no doubt that the Speaker, who is the presiding officer, alone gets the respect. When the Chief Minister arrives before the Assembly convenes and greets the members, I have seen former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami also getting up and greeting him... It is not compulsory to stand up whenever the Chief Minister or the Leader of the Opposition arrives. However, showing respect is part of Tamil culture and tradition. The individual members should decide for themselves whether or not to follow it. I am not going to compel anyone to do it.”
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