Chennai (PTI): The AIADMK members in the Tamil Nadu Assembly were evicted enmasse on Friday after the main opposition tried to raise some issue during the Question Hour, but the ruling was withdrawn by the Speaker soon, following an appeal made by Chief Minister M K Stalin.

Leader of Opposition K Palaniswami had earlier said the party wanted to raise the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy that has left "50 people dead", but was denied permission. He described the eviction as "murder of democracy."

Speaker M Appavu said the AIADMK members wanted to raise an issue during the Question Hour, which was against the House rules. Members were free to raise matters during the Zero Hour, only after the completion of Question Hour, he added.

As the AIADMK members were unreletning on their demand, the Speaker ordered for their eviction and ruled the opposition party legislators cannot attend the proceedings for the day.

Addressing the media outside the House, Palaniswami said he wanted to flag the Kallakurichi hooch tragedy, which he said has left "50 persons dead."

Later, CM Stalin appealed to the Speaker that the members of the main opposition be allowed to participate in the proceedings, which Appavu duly obliged and asked the AIADMK MLAs to return.

The opposition party MLAs, including Palaniswami, earlier came to the Assembly wearing black shirts.

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Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.

The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.

Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.

The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.

Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.

The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.