THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition UDF began an indefinite satyagraha in front of the Assembly Hall main entrance on Monday afternoon, intensifying the demand for the resignation of Health Minister K K Shylaja. MLAs V P Sajeendran, Roji M John and Eldhose Kunnappally (all Congress) and M Shamsudeen and T V Ibrahim (both IUML) launched the day-and-night satyagraha.The Opposition decided to take the issue of nepotism and misuse of power of the Health Minister, zeroed in and recorded by the High Court, and the demand for her resignation to the streets. A call has been given to hold torch-flame rallies in all the 140 constituencies in the state on Tuesday evening.
The surprise move came in the wake of the damning judgment by the High Court the other day pointing fingers at the minister with mala fide intention in the appointment of a controversial CPM nominee with a criminal background as a member of the State Child Rights Commission, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan remaining unfazed and justifying her. Earlier in the day, Shafi Parampil (Congress) lashed out at the minister and the government for appointing a CPM man with a dubious distinction. He read out the judgment copy to pinpoint the damning strictures against the minister for single-handedly resorting to extending the date for accepting applications for appointment of members of the Child Rights commission and ‘exercise of power not in good faith’.
Shafi asserted Shylaja violated the oath of office and secrecy. The Chief Minister said the decision to extend the date of receiving applications for appointing members of the Child Rights Commission was intended to give larger participation. He didn’t find fault with political appointments if their names in police cases are cleared. “There is no misuse of power on the part of the Health Minister. The government will take steps to clear the ‘observations’ of the High Court. She needn’t resign,” Pinarayi said. The House went into a turmoil, with UDF members thronging the Speaker’s podium. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said what the Additional Advocate General had submitted in the court during the hearing of the case was nothing but the stand of the government and the Health Minister.
The proceedings were disrupted for nearly an hour. Later, the Opposition trooped back and took part in the discussions on the Co-operative Bill without allowing a free run for the government. The smooth sail of the House ended as the Opposition members were on their feet with slogan shouts once the Health Minister’s turn came to move the self-financing medical fee Bill. Chennithala said nothing short of the resignation of the Health Minister was acceptable to the Opposition. “The Opposition is boycotting Shylaja. The stand of the Chief Minister is unacceptable. Five members will go on a satyagraha in the Assembly from now,” he said and led his team out.
‘CM protecting errant team members’
At a news conference, along with Dy Opposition leader M K Muneer, Anoop Jacob and Shafi Parampil, Ramesh said never in state’s history,there was a minister clinging to her seat and a Chief Minister supporting an unethical act of a Cabinet colleague. “The court has come down heavily against the minister with observations in the self-financing medical fee issue. Over 700 people have died of fever. Shylaja has continued her fete, through the appointment of a controversial CPM figure in the SCRC, which the HC has struck down,” he said.
State files appeal
The state government on Monday filed an appeal seeking to expunge the adverse remarks against Minister K K Shylaja by a single judge while quashing the appointments of T B Sureshkumar, CPM Wayanad district committee member and Syamala Devi (Kasargod) as members of the State Child Rights Commission. The petition said the remarks and observations were made without making the minister a respondent in the case. No opportunity was given to Shylaja to state her position. Those remarks were not at all necessary for proper disposal of the case. Hence the appeal before the Division Bench. The Single Judge had issued the order on the petition filed by Dr Jasmine Alex, Vallichira, Kottayam, challenging the selection process.