Kerala Assembly adjourned sine die amid opposition protest

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the Congress-led UDF's relentless agitation against the ''arrogant'' approach of the LDF government over a number of demands put forth by it, the Kerala assembly was on Tuesday adjourned sine die, much ahead of its original schedule of March 30.

Speaker A N Shamseer announced the culmination of the 21-day-long session of the Kerala Assembly, after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan tabled a resolution in the Assembly in this regard.

The decision was taken after five UDF MLAs launched an indefinite 'Satyagraha' in the well of the House against the CPI(M)-led government for ignoring its various demands. The Assembly has been witnessing opposition protests since last week against the ''restrictions'' on moving adjournment motions to discuss certain issues in the House.

Shamseer, during the session in the moring, ruled that the protests against the chair, the burning of effigies of the Speaker, and the press conferences held against the post were unacceptable.

''There are many instances in which we have not taken up the notice for adjournment motions. But degrading the office of the Speaker through press conferences and burning effigies is unheard of and unacceptable,'' the Speaker ruled.

Minister M B Rajesh said the protest, despite the Speaker's ruling, was a blatant violation of norms and sought stern action.

After the House was adjourned, the opposition members met the media outside the Assembly complex, where Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan alleged that the arrogant stance of the government had led to the early culmination of the session.

''The government attempts to take away the decades-old right of the opposition to bring in adjournment motions and, in effect, weaken the opposition and muzzle our voices. The intolerance towards criticism forced the government to adjourn the Assembly,'' Satheesan said.

The Congress leader also alleged that the government tried to insult the opposition MLAs by registering serious offences against them in the ruckus issue.

''If MLAs are denied justice, what about the common man?'' Satheesan asked.

He said the government refused to allow the notices for many serious issues raised by the opposition, including the IGST matter, the KSRTC crisis, the Brahmapuram waste plant fire, and various other problems affecting the state.

Satheesan said the government did not allow the motion to discuss the issue of alleged molestation of a 16-year-old that occurred in the state recently.

''The Speaker should have taken the initiative to resolve the issue. We will not bow down to the Chief Minister, who acts like he decides everything inside the state Assembly,'' Satheesan said.

When the House assembled in the morning, Leader of Opposition Satheesan announced that five members of the United Democratic Front (UDF) -- Anwar Sadath, Kurukkoli Moideen, A K M Ashraf, T J Vinod and Uma Thomas -- would stage an indefinite 'satyagraha' in the well of the House against the government, accusing it of not taking steps to ensure the proper functioning of assembly proceedings.

The government, however, claimed that the opposition protest was against the rules of the House proceedings.

The Opposition also criticised the government for registering ''false non-bailable cases'' against several opposition MLAs, including two women, in connection with an unprecedented protest organised in front of the Speaker's office in the Assembly complex last week.