KERALA: The Kerala Assembly was thrown into chaos on Tuesday (Feb 3) as the ruling front and the opposition clashed sharply over allegations that the investigation into the Sabarimala gold smuggling case was being deliberately derailed, and the protest ended with Leader of Opposition (LoP) VD Satheesan leading the entire opposition out of the house for the day.
Intense protests by the opposition forced repeated adjournments, turning the House into a scene of shouting matches, physical jostling and unprecedented disorder.
The trouble began when opposition members boycotted the Question Hour and descended into the well of the House holding placards and banners, accusing the government of sabotaging the probe.
As the protest escalated, a group of opposition MLAs led by Anvar Sadath attempted to rush towards the Speaker’s dais and later tried to enter the Speaker’s chamber.
Watch and Ward personnel intervened, leading to pushing and shoving inside the House.
Amid the mounting uproar, Speaker AN Shamseer rose from his chair and walked out, forcing a temporary suspension of proceedings.
LoP V.D. Satheesan alleged that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the Sabarimala gold smuggling case had reached a dead end due to interference from the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office.
He accused the police of facilitating default bail for all high-profile accused and claimed that the prime accused, Unnikrishnan Potti, would walk free soon.
According to Satheesan, pressure from the Chief Minister’s Office had shaped the course of the investigation.
Declaring that the opposition could not cooperate with Assembly proceedings under such circumstances, he announced that protests would be intensified both inside and outside the House.
As opposition MLAs continued their demonstration in the well, Speaker Shamseer warned that the banners must be lowered or they would be forcibly removed.
The ruling front responded aggressively. Minister MB Rajesh dismissed the protest, alleging that the opposition was “suffering from a lack of issues” and did not even have an adjournment motion to move.
He accused the opposition of insulting democratic institutions and mocked it for venting frustration in the Assembly after setbacks in the High Court in cases, including Sprinklr.
Ruling front members moved close to the well of the House and raised slogans against the opposition, further inflaming tempers.
Despite the House reconvening later in the morning, the din continued, forcing another adjournment.
The bitter war of words and physical confrontations underscored the deepening political fault lines, with the Sabarimala gold smuggling case emerging as a flashpoint that paralysed the Assembly and set the tone for an increasingly confrontational session. - The Statesman/ANN
