THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The standoff between the Opposition and the ruling front continued on the second day after violent clashes erupted inside the assembly on Wednesday. Even a reconciliation talk initiated by Speaker A N Shamseer through a parliamentary party meeting failed to end the stalemate on Thursday. The meeting resulted in a war of words between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Opposition leader V D Satheesan. The disgruntled opposition disrupted the question hour that followed. Following this, the speaker wound up the House proceedings in just 15 minutes.
On Thursday, the speaker began the proceedings with a reconciliatory approach, but criticised the opposition for repeated rule violations. However Satheesan made it clear that the Speaker should address the two conditions put forward by the Opposition for the smooth functioning of the house. The first was the demand to take action against two CPM MLAs - H Salam and K M Sachin Dev - and Moideen Hussain H, the deputy chief marshal of the ‘Watch and Ward’, for assaulting UDF MLAs while they were staging a protest outside the office of the speaker on March 15. He also wanted the speaker to respect the rights of the Opposition to move adjournment motion under Rule 50 in the wake of repeated denial of these rights on flimsy grounds.
The speaker, however, chose to give a detailed ruling later, while the Opposition entered the well with placards and sloganeering, making it difficult to continue with the proceedings. A day after the violence in the assembly, both sides hardened their stance. During the parliamentary party meeting, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the adjournment motion on the violent scuffle witnessed in the assembly on Wednesday cannot be allowed. He maintained that adjournment motion could not be allowed on every issue and especially when the issue was already discussed. RMP MLA, K K Rema, who suffered a broken arm in the scuffle, gave the notice for an adjournment motion on the scuffle on Wednesday.
Heated exchange outside assembly too
Later, Satheesan told reporters that raising issues that affect the state in the House was the duty of the Opposition. “The chief minister has taken a stand that he will grant us what he likes. We are not here to accept his generosity. The chief minister is afraid of the Opposition. He is afraid of adjournment motion. The decision to deny adjournment motion is to escape from scrutiny,” he said. According to him, it was the chief minister who had a final say on granting adjournment motion while the speaker merely agreed with him.
Satheesan pointed out that there was no reason for denying adjournment motions raised by the opposition on GST, KSRTC, lathicharge in Ernakulam and the assault on a girl in the capital. The speaker started the question hour by reminding the Opposition about the incidents on Wednesday. He said it was an unfortunate and unprecedented incident. He reminded the Opposition that the chair did not take any action against UDF MLAs for holding a mock assembly or for recording the visuals of Wednesday’s scuffle. Satheesan retorted that it was a satyagraha for denying the rights of the Opposition. Visuals were captured on phones because Sabha TV was acting in a partisan manner.
Both sides harden stance
During the parliamentary party meeting, the chief minister said the adjournment motion on the violent scuffle witnessed in the assembly on Wednesday cannot be allowed. Later, Satheesan told reporters that raising issues that affect the state in the House was the duty of the Opposition
Parallel assembly a ‘satyagraha’: Oppn
Speaker A N Shamseer reminded the Opposition that the chair did not take any action against UDF MLAs for holding a mock assembly or for recording the visuals of Wednesday’s scuffle. Satheesan retorted that it was a satyagraha for denying the rights of the Opposition
Take action against 2 CPM MLAs: Satheesan
Satheesan said the Speaker should address the two conditions — take action against two CPM MLAs - H Salam and K M Sachin Dev - and Moideen Hussain H, the deputy chief marshal of the ‘Watch and Ward’, for assaulting UDF MLAs — for the smooth functioning of the House