THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has cautioned the forces that try to destabilise secularism in the state as well as the country. ‘’There is a huge threat to secularism. This should be looked up with caution,’’ he said, while inaugurating the 60th anniversary celebrations of the first meeting of the Kerala Assembly where former Chief Ministers and Speakers were honoured. “Despite political differences, the Assembly has always stood for secularism,’’ he said. Stating a lot of issues in the name of religion had erupted in many parts of the country, he said the state had not seen such issues.
Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said the intervention of courts in legislation was not good. “Nowadays, we have seen the courts intervene in the laws framed in the Assembly.
It is not good for the courts to take the role of the Legislature,’’ he said. The constitutional bodies in the country have the responsibility to safeguard the rights of the people. However, it has been seen the Legislature, Executive and the Judiciary are in conflict with each other, he said.
Gowri’s wisecrack provokes laughter
T’Puram: ‘’Vijayan, walk around draped in saree and you can see how unsafe the women are.’’ This is a piece of advice to none other than Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan by veteran leader K R Gowri. “I have walked around even at 10 in the night. No one has attacked me. But now the situation is not the same,’’ she said here at the ‘Former members’ friendship meet’ as part of the 60th anniversary of the first meeting of the Kerala Assembly.