THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition UDF stalled the assembly proceedings on Thursday forcing the speaker to adjourn the house for the day over the government’s decision to hike fuel cess in the state budget.
The opposition also announced the end of the satyagraha staged by the four MLAs at the entrance of the assembly hall. However, UDF has decided to continue the protest against the hike outside the assembly in the coming days. “The UDF will organise day and night protest on February 13 and 14,” Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said.
“The youth and women organisations will hold protest programmes against the fuel cess hike,” he said. The Opposition legislators led by Satheesan walked to the assembly building from MLA Quarters by avoiding vehicles as a mark of protest against the fuel cess hike.
At the start of the question hour, the Opposition leader announced that they would not cooperate with the proceedings until the tax proposals are withdrawn. Satheesan criticised the finance minister’s statement on Wednesday about the Opposition MLAs’ protest satyagraha. K N Balagopal had told the assembly that the Opposition resorted to the satyagraha after the media reported that the government might reduce the hike by one rupee.
Satheesan alleged that the minister had ridiculed the Opposition and the common man through his statement. He also said that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, when he was the state secretary of the CPM, had called for the boycott of the additional tax proposed in the UDF tenure. As the speaker proceeded with the question hour, the Opposition members trooped into the well of the assembly raising placards and slogans against the fuel cess hike.