Three legislators start indefinite stir at Kerala Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition disrupted Assembly proceedings on Wednesday for the second consecutive day on the self-financing medical seats issue.

Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan rushed through the day’s proceedings and adjourned the House after slogan-shouting Opposition members occupied the well of the House. Soon after, three young UDF legislators — Shafi Parambil and Hibi Eden of Congress and Anoop Jacob of Kerala Congress (Jacob) — launched an indefinite hunger strike on the steps right outside the Assembly hall in protest against the LDF government’s self-financing policy and “police atrocities” against agitating Youth Congress activists.

The Opposition members, holding up banners and placards against the LDF government, began making noises right from the start of the Question Hour. When the Speaker refused the Opposition leader permission to speak during Question Hour, Opposition members rushed to the well gesticulating at the Speaker, and grouped under the Speaker’s podium shouting slogans. The Question Hour was conducted amid Opposition slogan-shouts.

The bitterness intensified when the Opposition leader was offered the mic after the Question Hour. Right at the outset, Mr Chennithala questioned the impartiality of the Speaker. “There were six times when the Opposition leader was allowed to speak during Question Hour during the UDF tenure,” he said. “The Speaker should at least refer Assembly documents before taking decisions,” Mr Chennithala said. (In a press release later, the Speaker said if at all former opposition leaders were allowed to talk during Question Hour it was only by way of intervention in a question.)

The Opposition leader then launched a scathing attack of the police onslaught against Youth Congress activists. “The kind of force used by the police is unacceptable. There were 12 lathi charges, grenades were lobbed 30 times and more than 130 activists were injured,” he said. When Mr Chennithala spoke critically of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s channel-engineered black flag remark, the Speaker cut him short saying: “Your letter regarding the issue is with me.”

Law and parliamentary affairs minister A.K. Balan was the most combative among the ruling party members. He even reprimanded the Speaker. “How can you allow the Opposition leader to speak? It is Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan who had moved the adjournment motion under Rule 50. It is he who should be allowed to speak and not the Opposition leader. This is against rules,” Mr Balan said. This forced the Speaker to ask Thiruvanchoor whether he wanted to move the adjournment motion.

When the Opposition leader continued to speak, a furious Balan once again turned to the Speaker. “The Opposition leader cannot speak when Opposition members are shouting in the well. Both cannot be allowed simultaneously,” he said. The Speaker, it seemed, temporarily lost his cool. “It is exactly what I have been saying all this while,” he said. Mr Balan was also constantly taunted by the young Opposition members seated in the well.