THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala traded charges over early adjournment of the sitting and accused each other. Chennithala alleged that Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan cut short the sitting after Pinarayi asked him to do so.
“Even after the UDF conveyed its decision to cooperate with the Assembly, the chief minister asked the Speaker to wind up. Being a co-accused in the Jaleel row, Pinarayi did not want the issue to be discussed in the House. The CM is fully responsible for disrupting the House,” Chennithala said referring to a note given by the CM to the Speaker. IUML leader M K Muneer accused the CM of being silent when Left legislators tried to move to the well.
Later speaking at a press conference, Pinarayi shot back and criticised the Opposition for trying to defame the Speaker’s post. Those who created uproar in the House and went for Satyagraha are responsible for assembly disruption. “When they allege that the Speaker cut short the sitting as per the note given by the CM, it amounts to belittling the Speaker’s authority.
It’s like questioning the democratic powers of the Chair, and is unprecedented. It’s unbecoming of the Opposition Leader,” said Pinarayi. The chief minister said the BJP has been blabbering things without any clarity on what to do, what to say and how to move forward. It should be assumed that the Opposition Leader has been sharing a similar situation has fallen to the same pathetic state, Pinarayi shot back.