The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) disrupted the Assembly on Thursday evening accusing CPI(M) legislator M. M. Mani of disparaging K. K. Rema, MLA, and making light of her widowhood and the martyrdom of her husband and Revolutionary Marxist Party leader, T. P. Chandrasekharan who, the Opposition said, “fell to the knives of CPI(M) assassins” at Onchiyam in 2012.
Ms. Rema's speech criticising Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's law enforcement policy apparently provoked Mr. Mani.
Mr. Rema said: "The police are tied down providing security to the CM. His heavily guarded motorcade resembles a travelling national emergency. It is amusing that LDF convener E. P. Jayarajan has compared the untraceable AKG Centre bomb thrower to the infamous 1984 murder-for-insurance case fugitive Sukumara Kurup."
Mr. Mani countered: "A lady had spoken against the CM and the LDF government. She is a widow. It is her fate. We are not responsible."
Mr. Mani's words angered the Opposition. They trooped into the well of the House and demanded Speaker M. B. Rajesh expunge Mr. Mani's statement from the Assembly records.
Mr. Vijayan responded:" I heard Mani. He has not said anything defamatory. He merely said we were not responsible".
Shortly, the Opposition staged a walkout. The UDF legislators raised slogans against Mr. Mani's "inherent" misogyny and damned the CPI(M) culture of "waylaying" political opponents and "killing party dissidents".
Soon, Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan tweeted, tagging CPI(M) Polit Bureau members Sitaram Yechury and Subashini Ali:" K.K. Rema MLA was humiliated in Kerala assembly by M.M.Mani of CPM with the support of CM Pinarayi Vijayan. T.P.Chandasekharan, Rema’s husband was brutally murdered by CPM. Humiliating and intimidating a woman is deplorable and totally unacceptable. @SitaramYechury @SubhashiniAli.".
Mr. Satheesan alleged that blood lust drove the CPI(M). The party's anger at Ms. Rema raged even ten years after CPI(M) killers hacked her husband to death.
Congress legislator Ramesh Chennithala said the UDF would shield Ms. Rema and launch a public campaign against CPI(M) -sponsored political killings and its ingrained contempt for women.
