The Assembly witnessed a verbal duel between the ruling LDF and UDF on Wednesday over the latter’s bid to raise the issue of police action on Youth Congress and KSU activists in front of Secretariat.
Amidst slogan-shouting and protest by the UDF legislators in the well of the House and before the podium for one hour, the question hour went on as per business as Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan struck to the stand that there was “no precedence” of allowing the Leader of the Opposition to raise such issues in the floor.
The KC(M) legislators abstained from asking supplementary question when the Chair called them.
The KC(M) legislators, P.C. George of the KC(Secular), and BJP legislator O. Rajagopal stayed away from the protest.
Earlier, as soon as the Speaker called Forest Minister K. Raju to reply to the first question listed for the day, the UDF legislators started shouting slogans.
The Speaker’s assurance that the Leader of the Opposition will be given time and that the Question Hour should not be disrupted fell in deaf ears. Later the Opposition trooped to the well of the House.
