Kerala Assembly stalled over temple imbroglio

TRIVANDRUM: The Congress-led opposition stalled Kerala Assembly for the second consecutive day on Thursday demanding a discussion on the Sabarimala temple standoff.

Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan had to rush through the business and adjourn the house for the day as the opposition members trooped into its well and shouted at him.

The Hindu hill shrine became a centre debate after the Supreme Court on Sept.28 ruled against the ban on women of menstrual age there.

They the ruling communists showed undue haste in opening its gate to all women without talking to them and restoring the infrastructure washed away in the recent loods.

Ramesh Chennithala, the opposition loor leader, demanded to halt the question hour as soon as the session began to discuss the “burning issue.”

But chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan opposed saying he had already explained the issues in Sabarimala in detail and there was no need for discussions now.

After the speaker adjourned the house, the opposition leaders held a press conference in the media room and protested the denial of their privilege to bring those issues before it.

“We wanted to present the real picture of Sabarimala, which is pathetic, in the Assembly. But he didn’t permit us,” Chennithala said.

“Yesterday, we wanted to raise our demand or to lift the Section 144 (a form a curfew) in force at the temple and its base camps. He denies us the privilege.” While former temple affairs minister VS Sivakumar on Wednesday sought an adjournment of regular business to discuss the restriction imposed there, former home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan wanted a debate on the lack of facilities.

“The unnecessary restrictions and lack of facilities are keeping devotees away. There are no proper toilet facilities,” he said.

“The violence unleashed by the (Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s) BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are also scaring devotees away.” He also alleged that the chief minister was making false claims on Facebook without putting in place basic facilities. The revenue of the temple also fell by almost one-third.

Deputy leader Dr MK Muneer said the Assembly was witnessing for the irst time overruling the speaker who had offered to consider the adjournment motion later.

“He’s not ready for debate as he had many things to hide. What we have witnessed there is a lack of even toilet facilities forcing devotees to defecate openly,” he said.