She faces the privilege issue for accusing the Speaker of hastily initiating action against Tamaraikani under pressure from Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

The Speaker, who had on Wednesday rejected a privilege motion sought to be moved by MGR-ADMK MLA S Thirunavukkarasu against Jayalalitha, decided to allow it on Thursday as "she had made a 100 per cent false statement against the presiding officer of the Assembly".

Stating that the Chief Minister was not present in the House when he pronounced a seven-day imprisonment for Tamaraikani on March 22 for assaulting Minister Veerapandi Arumugham in the Assembly, the Speaker asserted that he had served the detention order only because leaders of all Legislature parties in theAssembly demanded immediate action.

"Kalaignar can give instructions to P T R Palanivel Rajan. But as a Speaker, I am not bound by Chief Minister's instructions," he declared, describing Jayalalitha's statement as "100 per cent false".

The subsequent order on March 23 imposing 15-day imprisonment on Tamaraikani was issued only after an all-party meeting was convened and the House unanimously passed a resolution to the effect, the Speaker pointed out.

According to the Speaker, Karunanidhi had, at the all-party meeting, disapproved of the 15-day sentence and clearly said that the punishment was excessive. "When I took over the Speakership of the House, the Chief Minister advised me to be impartial...Outside the House, I will not disobey the Chief Minister. But inside the Assembly, I will be impartial," the Speaker said, before referring the privilege issue against Jayalalitha to the Privileges Committee.

Earlier, raising the privilege issue, Thirunavukkarasu said Jayalalitha had not only denied thatTamaraikani hit the Minister, but had also alleged that the Speaker was hurried into initiating action against him under pressure from the Chief Minister. Describing her statements on the assault incident as "distorted, imaginary and contrary to truth", Thirunavukkarasu, said that her remarks against the Speaker had lowered the dignity of the House and breached its privilege.

Thirunavukkarasu claimed that Jayalalitha had described the Speaker's order as illegal and imputed motives to the directive. Supporting Thirunavukkarasu's demand, Leader of the House and Education Minister K Anbazhagan said that the former chief minister should not be allowed to make any further false statements against the Speaker and the Assembly, and the issue had to be referred to the Privileges Committee.

The Speaker then referred the issue to the Privileges Committee for a thorough inquiry to ascertain whether her statements tantamount to breach of privilege of the House.