Kerala assembly ruckus: Five legislators suspended till end of session

Chaos in the Kerala Assembly as finance minister K M Mani presents the budget on Friday.(Source: PTI)

Five Left legislators were suspended from the Assembly till the end of the session in connection with the ruckus in the House on last Friday, when Finance Minister K M Mani presented the budget.

The suspended legislators are E P Jayarajan, V Shivankutty, K Kunhahammed Master, K T Jaleel and K Ajith. Speaker N Sakthan initiated disciplinary action against them mainly on charges of vandalizing the dais of the speaker. It was Jayarajan, a CPI (M) central committee member, who had thrown out the Speaker’s chair into the well of the Assembly.

Opposition leader V S Achuthanadan said the unilateral action against the Opposition legislators was unacceptable. He questioned the Speaker’s reluctance to take action against ruling front legislators who had insulted women legislators during the mayhem. The Opposition members stormed into the well of the House and they boycotted the proceedings.

Anticipating Opposition protest, the House was adjourned until March 23, when it would meet again to pass the vote on account.

Earlier, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy moved a resolution demanding action against the Opposition legislators.

The Speaker had given a ruling on the Friday’s bedlam in the Assembly, saying the incidents were unprecedented in the country and Kerala should hang its head in shame. The entire House should tender apology to the public.

Source:: Indian Express