The Kerala Assembly was adjourned on Tuesday in the face of protests by the United Democratic Front (UDF) against the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s observation that “hired protesters” had waved black flags at him.
Replying to a notice on an adjournment motion by MLA Shafi Parambil on the lathi charge on Youth Congress (YC) and Kerala Students Union (KSU) activists, who were agitating against the fee hike in self-financing medical colleges on Monday, the chief minister said his perception was that the YC was a prominent organisation in the State that could mobilise workers for its programmes. When YC activists waved black flags at him, he said he saw two cameramen from TV channels rushing towards his vehicle near the Secretariat and spotted two persons on the opposite side waving black flags at him. They, he said, were hired by the television channels. This enraged the UDF members and they moved to the well of the House demanding that Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan expunge the remarks, but Mr. Vijayan refused to repeal his words.
Enraged UDF members then squatted in the well of the House, shouting slogans while Mr. Vijayan continued with his reply. He accused the YC and KSU activists of spilling red ink to give the impression that blood had been spilled in the agitation, while the MLAs too cut a sorry figure by refraining their words.
He said the government would not allow self-financing colleges to collect capitation fees and would act strongly on such complaints. Opposition members continued their protest and Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala demanded that the Speaker expunge the chief minister’s controversial remarks.
Mr. Chennithala also demanded that the government repeal the fee hike at the Pariyaram Medical College. He accused Mr. Vijayan of denigrating the dignity of the House with comments that were unbecoming of his position. Mr. Sreeramakrishnan refused to accept the demand to expunge or even examine the remarks and the Opposition shored up its protest.
