Kerala Assembly adjourned for 3rd day over UDF uproar

Press Trust of India

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Assembly's proceedings were disrupted for the third consecutive day as the House was adjourned within minutes of its commencement on Friday following protests by the opposition UDF over the registration of non-bailable cases against its legislators in connection with the ruckus in front of the Speaker's office two days ago.

Uproar erupted after the Speaker A N Shamseer refused to allow Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan to raise the issue during Question Hour. Though Satheesan was allowed to speak for some time, the Opposition alleged the mike was turned off later.

Protesting the Chair's decision, the angry opposition members trooped into the well of the House amid sloganeering, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day. The Kerala Police had registered cases against MLAs of the opposition Congressled UDF, the ruling LDF and a few marshals in connection with the ruckus in front of the Assembly Speaker's office on Wednesday.

While speaking to reporters in the media room later, Satheesan said non-bailable cases were registered against seven opposition MLAs, while bailable sections were charged against the ruling CPI(M) legislators in the incident. He said the opposition's right to bring pressing issues of people under Rule 50 in the House has been continuously denied as the government does not want to face questions and criticisms against it.

The LoP said no matter how evasive the Chief Minister was, questions would be asked to him continuously. Making it clear that the Congress-led opposition would not cooperate with any of the programmes organised by the government, he said they were planning to take their agitation out of the House.

Hitting back at the Opposition, CPI(M) State Secretary M V Govindan said that the large participation of people in the ruling party's ongoing march and the good work of the second Pinarayi Vijay/an government has left the Congress and the UDF in trouble. "The reason for the crazy behaviour (in the Assembly) is the realisation that they will have to be in the opposition in the next Assembly elections as well", he told reporters here.

The Assembly complex had witnessed unprecedented scenes on Wednesday when a section of UDF legislators who marched to the office of Speaker Shamseer, accusing him of being biased in the House, got into a scuffle with the House Marshals. At least four Opposition MLAs and seven watch-andward staff who were injured in the exchange have sought treatment at various hospitals here, sources had said.

Museum police on Thursday registered a case against Left Democratic Front (LDF) MLAs H Salam and K M Sachin Dev and a few House Marshals under Sections 324 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) based on a complaint filed by United Democratic Front (UDF) legislator Saneesh Kumar Joseph.