THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The chaotic scenes in the state assembly during the budget session in 2015 were circulated widely and left a blot on Kerala’s image. However, General Education Minister V Sivankutty and five other LDF leaders, who were charged in the case, have denied that they resorted to violence and said they only resisted the highhandedness of the watch and ward.
The leaders, who were on the Opposition side, broke chairs, snapped mikes and climbed atop tables protesting against then finance minister K M Mani. The speaker’s chair and computer were also damaged.
The Left leaders, who included former ministers E P Jayarajan and K T Jaleel, denied before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court on Thursday that they had perpetrated violence in the assembly. They said what they had done was an act of protest, which was blown out of proportion by the media.
The counsel of the leaders were presenting their argument during the hearing of the discharge petition in the court. The counsel argued that 20 members from the Opposition side had barged into the dais of the Speaker during budget presentation day and the tussle between legislators and watch and ward of the assembly caused the material damage. Sivankutty was charged for damaging the electronic display panel, but during an inspection by the electrical engineer, it was found to be working.
Govt counsel contests Left leaders’ arguments
“In such a scenario, how could Sivankutty be charged for destroying the panel?” the counsel asked. The accused also pointed out that there were MLAs and 21 ministers in the assembly, but only the watch and ward members were listed as the witnesses.
The government’s counsel, meanwhile, strongly contested the arguments of the leaders. The counsel told the court that the MLAs were aware of what they were doing and no one has the right to destroy public property.
The government counsel added that the charges against the accused persons prima facie are legally maintainable and the acts of the MLAs were clearly recorded in the assembly hard disk, which has got timer attached to it. The verdict on the discharge plea is expected on October 7. The leaders moved the petition after the Supreme Court rejected the government’s plea seeking withdrawal of case against them.