Two women MLAs allegedly roughed up by police during a march over the Suryanelli gang-rape case staged a dharna in the well of the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday.
CPI MLAs’ Geeta Gopi and E.S. Bijimol squatted in the well of the House after CPI-M led LDF’s demand for suspending ‘erring’ police personnel was rejected by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
Ms. Bijimol came to the House with a sling on her left hand and protested along with Ms. Geeta Gopi, following which Mr. Chandy requested Speaker G. Karthikeyan to pass the supplementary Demands for Grants in the 2012-23 Budget without discussion.
The House later did so, following which the Speaker adjourned it amidst protest by LDF members who raised slogans against the government.
Opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan raised the issue of the women MLAs’ just after zero hour and demanded immediate suspension of erring police personnel on the basis of the ADGP’s inquiry report.
However, Mr. Chandy and Mr. Radhakrishnan maintained the report had not recommended suspension.
“We cannot take action just to save ourself from this issue”, Mr. Chandy added.
He said it would not be proper for the House to continue with the debate while the two women MLAs’ continued their protest in the well of the house.
Speaker G. Karthikeyan also asked the MLAs to call of their agitation as “it is not proper to use the well of the House for protest purposes”.
Though Mr. Chandy said government is willing to order a judicial probe into the Feb. 6 incident in front of the Assembly complex, LDF insisted on immediate suspension of the “erring” police personnel.
Mr. Chandy, quoting the ADGP’s report and video visuals, said nothing was found in them to take action against police officials, but government was ready for a probe, “considering the seriousness of the incident.”
The case relates to a girl from Suryanelli in Idukki district of Kerala being abducted in January, 1996 and transported to various places and sexually exploited by different persons.
Mr. Kurien was acquitted in case but the victim had recently named him as one of those who assaulted her in 1996. She sent a letter to the Supreme Court last week, seeking a review of the Apex Court’s order quashing all charges against Mr. Kurien.
