THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The fifth session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly began on a stormy note after Opposition legislators staged a major protest inside the House, thereby forcing the Speaker to make an early adjournment.
UDF legislators, armed with placards and banners, raised slogans inside the House, in protest against the SFI attack on Rahul Gandhi's office at Wayanad, disrupting both the Question and Zero hours. Following this, Speaker MB Rajesh quickly wound up the day's proceedings.
Six young Congress MLAs including Shafi Parambil, Anwar Sadath, Eldhose Kunnapally, and Roji M John came to the Assembly donning black shirts and masks.
The uproar began as soon as the proceedings started at 9 am. Five minutes into the session, Opposition legislators raised slogans against the state government. At the time, Local Self Government minister MV Govindan was answering a question from M Mukesh.
Though the Speaker tried to reason with the Opposition saying that the issue raised by UDF MLAs would be considered during the Adjournment motion, the UDF MLAs continued with their protest.
The Speaker also stood up saying that the legislators should sit when the Speaker is standing, as per the rules of the House.
However, UDF MLAs stepped into the well following which legislators from treasury benches also moved to the well. At this point, the Speaker announced temporary adjournment of the session.
However, the Opposition and ruling front legislators continued to raise slogans against each other till the zero hour at 10 am. The Speaker returned to the House by that time for making an obituary reference.
Though the Speaker told the Opposition that the issue would be considered during adjournment motion, the Opposition continued to raise slogans. This prompted the Speaker to finish off the proceedings for the day by 10.30 am. Later, the opposition walked out of the House in as a protest march.
Meanwhile, the entry of mediapersons in the offices of ministers and the Opposition leaders was restricted by the watch and ward. The visuals given to Sabha TV was censored. The footage of the protest by the Opposition was not handed over to the press, which invited critique. Later, a clarification came from the office of the Speaker saying that it was a mistake from the part of the watch and ward.
The fifth session was expected to take a turbulent turn as the opposition led by the Congress was equipped with enough ammunition, ranging from the startling revelations by Swapna Suresh, a key accused in the gold smuggling case against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to the vandalisation of Rahul Gandhi's office by SFI activists, to take on the CPI(M)-led LDF government.
The one-month-long session was being convened mainly to discuss and pass the demands for grants for the financial year 2022-23.
However, the Congress-led UDF had made it clear that they would raise the ongoing controversies in the House.
(With PTI inputs)