Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) disrupted the Assembly on Thursday to protest Wednesday’s “manhandling“ of opposition legislators “by ruling front MLAs and watch and ward” officials.
An all-party meeting chaired by Speaker A. N. Shamsheer and attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan to calm frayed tempers and ensure smooth conduct of legislative business made no headway.
The UDF rejected the ruling front’s reconciliatory gesture by demanding the Speaker take decisive action against those responsible for “injuring” at least four opposition MLAs.
The opposition legislators raised anti-government slogans and held banners in the House at the question hour’s start, drowning Mr. Shamsheer’s appeals for calm.
Fractured arm
Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan along with MLAs visiting injured MLAs KK Rema and T, J, Saneesh at the Generral Hospital, in Thiruvananthapuram | Photo Credit: MAHINSHA S
Leader of Opposition V. D. Satheesan said that CPI(M) legislators attacked Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader K. K. Rema, MLA, and fractured her arm.
Ms. Rema had arrived at the House with her arm in a cast. She accused CPI(M) legislator A. H. Salam of having inflicted the injury.
The chaos precluded Ms. Rema from moving a rule 50 notice seeking an adjournment debate on Wednesday’s incidents in the Assembly.
Mr. Satheesan said Deputy Chief Marshal Moideen Hussain acted as CPI(M) ‘s catspaw. He said the Speaker remained a distant and unmoving authority as wardens and treasury bench legislators physically targeted UDF members.
Opposition demands action
Mr. Satheesan demanded that the Speaker act against Mr. Salam and CPI(M) legislator Sachin Dev for allegedly attacking opposition legislators. He desired the Speaker to penalise Mr. Moideen.
Mr. Satheesan ruled out any detente between the ruling front and the opposition until the Speaker acted decisively against the “aggressors.”
“It can’t be business as usual. The Speaker had no recourse but to penalise CPI(M) legislators and wardens who manhandled UDF members protesting to protect their parliamentary privilege. A detente is distant till the Speaker acts convincingly and upholds the Assembly’s haloed democratic traditions,” he said.
Mr. Satheesan slammed Sabha television for “occluding opposition voices” and acting as the ruling front’s “mouthpiece”.
Rule 50 notices denied
Mr. Satheesan accused Mr. Shamsheer of recurrently disallowing discussions on Rule 50 notices moved by the UDF to deliberate on matters of public interest.
He accused the Speaker of sacrificing the opposition’s parliamentary privilege to seek adjournment debates at the altar of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s political interests.
Subsequently, Mr. Shamsheer invited K. Radhakrishnan, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, to reply to the opposition’s charges.
Mr. Radhakrishnan said the ruling front and the opposition’s cooperation were imperative for legislative business’s smooth conduct. Nevertheless, the government reserved making a statement on the floor of the House and would wait until the Speaker issued his ruling.
Speaker’s position
Mr. Shamsheer termed the incidents in the House on Wednesday as unfortunate.
He said the chair did not act vindictively when UDF legislators raised banners and blocked the Speaker’s field of vision. It had exercised maximum restraint and given full latitude to the opposition.
Mr. Shamsheer said the chair did not act when UDF legislators parodied proceedings in the well of the House on Tuesday after the Speaker denied a Rule 50 notice to debate the police action against UDF councillors in Kochi Municipal Corporation on Monday.
Mr. Shamsheer said UDF legislators should introspect if their protest in front of the Speaker’s office on Wednesday contradicted the best traditions of legislative propriety and convention.
Mobile phone broadcasts
The Speaker also took strong exception to the use of mobile phones to broadcast House proceedings to the outside world.
“The House has the technology to disrupt such broadcasts. So, do not force the chair’s hand to exercise such options,” he said.
Mr. Shamsheer said the chair would rule on Wednesday’s incidents later. He hurried through the proceedings and adjourned the House for the day. The Assembly would reconvene on Friday.
Published - March 16, 2023 12:11 pm IST
