THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Opposition is set to raise the chief minister’s remark on Malappuram again in the assembly in an adjournment motion on Tuesday, albeit via a similar issue of topical interest.
Having lost an opportunity to discuss the controversial topic on Monday after the LDF government agreed to discuss the related adjournment motion at noon, the Opposition is expected to show their strength inside and outside the assembly, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
The war of words between the chief minister and the opposition leader came as a blessing in disguise for the LDF government as they did not have to defend Pinarayi’s controversial remarks on Malappuram in an interview he gave to a leading English daily.
If the UDF had moved the adjournment motion on the Malappuram row and the allied issues, they wanted to show their disapproval in removing 49 starred questions.
Satheesan told reporters outside the assembly that the chief minister cut a sorry figure before the people as he was keen to see that the session was adjourned.
“There has been a conspiracy between the speaker’s office and the chief minister’s office. Pinarayi has been trying to emulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. When the speaker removed my speech, he did not bother to remove the words of the chief minister and the parliamentary affairs minister from the records of the assembly. The opposition is not going to be cowed down by the pressure from the part of the LDF government. Pinarayi should see his own reflection in the mirror if he wants to see a substandard person,” said an agitated Satheesan.
On Tuesday, the UDF is expected to be prepared to raise a slew of issues ranging from the disruption of the Thrissur Pooram festival and the meeting between former ADGP (Law and Order) M R Ajith Kumar and the RSS leadership.
The assembly is going to witness unruly scenes for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, a UDF MLA told TNIE.
“How can a chief minister cast aspersions on the opposition leader? We are not here to just sit and watch him come up with derogatory comments against the opposition leader. The real power of the opposition will be shown to Pinarayi in the coming days both inside and outside the assembly,” the UDF MLA said.
The youth organisations belonging to the UDF are scheduled to hold a protest march to the assembly at 11am, demanding the resignation of a “corrupt” chief minister.
The Congress state leadership has also decided to hold an evening protest with a similar demand in front of the secretariat and also in the other 13 districts. Satheesan will inaugurate the protest march before the secretariat at 5 pm.