THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Assembly’s 13-day session ended on a tumultuous note on Thursday after a minor scuffle between the ruling front and Opposition legislators. What triggered it was a remark by Opposition deputy leader M K Muneer, who termed the proposed women’s wall a communal one.
Earlier, refuting Opposition’s charges, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan made it clear no funds would be spent from state exchequer for the women’s wall. Stating it would be a wall of pride, he rejected charges that it is a communal move. Pinarayi further warned those who stayed away from the movement would be thrown into the dustbins of history.
Ruling-front legislators, protesting over Muneer’s remark, disrupted the proceedings, forcing the Speaker to temporarily adjourn and later go for early adjournment, quickly winding up the proceedings. Muneer remarked the ‘communal wall’ would collapse like the Berlin Wall. Left MLAs quickly stood up protesting and moved to the well, urging him to withdraw the remark.
It led to a verbal duel between the treasury and Opposition MLAs. Parliamentary Affairs Minister A K Balan said the comment should be removed.