Treasury benches disrupt speech, opposition boycotts Kerala Assembly

TRIVANDRUM: The 13-day special session of Kerala Assembly has ended abruptly without no debates taking place because of the continuous standoff between the treasury and opposition benches.

On Thursday, the ruling legislators themselves were on their feet not allowing deputy opposition leader Dr MK Muneer to complete his speech demanding a debate on the proposed “wall of women” planned on Jan.1.

Angered by his description of the demonstration to uphold the values of “renaissance movements” as a “communal wall”, they started shouting at him saying he was insulting women.

A meeting of Hindu caste organisations that chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan convened on Dec.1 decided to form the 620-km ‘human wall’ across the state.

The opposition says leaders from Muslim and Christian minorities had also contributed equally in the reformist movements and their exclusion is an insult to them.

Muslims constitute 26.56 per cent and Christians 18.38 per cent of the 33.4 million population of the southern state where women outnumber men.

They also questioned the secular credentials of the convener and jointconvener of its organising committee, Vellappally Natesan and CP Sugathan.

Muneer said Sugathan was a Karsevak who went to Faizabad to demolish Babri Masjid, a 16th century masjid, on Dec.6, 1992.

He also read out a Facebook post by him urging Hindus to gang-rape and lynch a girl, Hadiya, born Akhila, who converted to Islam and married a Muslim.

He quoted a 2015 statement of Natesan criticising the previous dispensation for supporting the family of Naushad, an autorickshaw driver died saving two workers trapped in a utility-hole.

He had then said if a Muslim or Christian dies, ministers would make a beeline to their homes and if it’s a Hindu, “not even a dog comes there.” In response to Muneer’s demand for a debate on the controversial move, the chief minister read out a lengthy statement on the need for reviving the renaissance values.

Though he mentioned Hindu reformers like Sree Narayana Guru, Chattampi Swamikal and Ayyankali and the struggles against gender and caste discrimination, he ignored others.

“How can you call this a wall of the renaissance when you keep out Muslim and Christian reformers. How can you ignore Vakkom Moulavi or Fr Chavara?” he asked.

“The chief minister is misusing his power to build this wall dividing communities, compelling government employees to participate,” he said amid the din.

He cited meetings across the state that the district collectors hold for the ‘wall’ as an attempt to force daily-wage workers and beneiciaries of welfare schemes to turn up.

Quoting from the Constitution of India, he said the government was violating its tenets against supporting such religious and communal events.

As the treasury benches disrupted his speech, the opposition legislators boycotted the proceedings, sat on the loor near the entrance and raised slogans.

The ruling backbenchers also moved towards them and came almost to blows, prompting senior members to intervene and force them to leave and protest outside.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said history would throw those who oppose the wall to the dustbin and questioned the opposition calling it as communal.

“This is not to argue but to create awareness among masses on the renaissance history of the state,” he said.

After adjourning the Assembly sine die, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan told reporters that it was dificult to please all during the session.

Opposition loor leader Ramesh Chennithala announced their decision to end the indeinite sit-in before the entrance by three legislators that entered the 10th day demanding an end to restrictions on Sabarimala pilgrims.

The government’s stand is that it was constitutionally bound to implement the Sept.28 Supreme Court verdict allowing women aged below 50 to the hill shrine.

The Bharatiya Janata party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, called a statewide shutdown on Friday following immolation of a pilgrim on Thursday.

However, his dying declaration said he’s ending life as he was fed up with it and there’s no mention about the BJP’S protest or Sabarimala.

BJP is on a hunger strike before the Secretariat against the move to allow women in the 10-50 age group to trek the holy hill for darshan, and he staged the protest here last night.