THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is protecting General Education Minister V Sivankutty even after the Supreme Court ordered that the accused in the assembly ruckus case need to face trial as part of the criminal case registered against them, Opposition leader VD Satheesan said here on Friday. Satheesan told reporters that the CM had disrespected the verdict of the apex court in the assembly.
“He welcomed the verdict in the introduction and conclusion of his speech and disregarded the conclusions of the court elsewhere,” Satheesan said. He said he could not accept the stand of the CM who had defied the SC order. “In reply to the adjournment motion notice issued by the Opposition on Thursday, the CM said things that were factually incorrect. According to him, it is customary to resolve issues within the assembly on the spot. It is wrong. A similar incident took place in 1970 in the assembly.
On that day, the then Speaker Damodaran Potti was attacked by Left MLAs. Subsequently, a circle inspector was also attacked. The speaker suspended the five MLAs who attacked the inspector and allowed the police to file a case against them. In Punjab assembly, police had registered a case and MLAs were convicted in connection with the beating with mike,” Satheesan said. He said it is a criminal case in which the state government is the petitioner and the same government provides protection to the accused by spending money from the exchequer.
A public prosecutor will be required to appear in the case against the minister at the hearing. The resignation of the minister is demanded to avoid this. The CM is blabbering after an attempt to save the accused, including the minister, by spending money from the exchequer failed. “Is the education minister a person who squanders public money in the assembly? What message does this send out about the state,” Satheesan asked.
OPPOSITION BOYCOTTS ASSEMBLY
T’Puram: Ruckus in the assembly over demand for General Education Minister V Sivankutty’s resignation continued for the second consecutive day on Friday, with the Opposition boycotting assembly proceedings for the day. The front decided to boycott the proceedings during the question hour after CM Pinarayi Vijayan remained firm on his decision that the minister will not step down. When the House convened at 9am, the Opposition members disrupted the proceedings by raising slogans seeking Sivankutty’s removal.
MASTER PLAN TO MITIGATE HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT
T’Puram: The government will form an expert committee to prepare a master plan to mitigate human-wildlife conflict in forest areas, Forest Minister A K Saseendran told the assembly. He said the need to protect human life and agriculture is urgent matter. A hike in compensation to farmers whose crops are damaged by wild animals will be discussed with the agriculture department. Meanwhile, he said he had not recommended the suspension of the forest conservator, who is facing charges in the Muttil tree felling case. He also said those trained by the forest department will be given licences as snake catchers. In reply to another question, he said the ‘Vidyavanam’ scheme is being revised and expanded across the state with the public participation.