Bedlam in House over death of passenger during strike

TRIVANDRUM: Kerala Assembly on Thursday plunged into chaos as the opposition staged protests over the death of a passenger during a flash strike by the public transport staff in the city.

They got agitated as the chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, retired to his chamber and deputed a junior minister to respond to their demand for a debate.

The employees of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), which enjoys a monopoly in the city bus services, went on strike alleging police attack on one of them.

They brought all KSRTC buses, including those under repair at their garages, to block the arterial roads, bringing the city to a standstill.

Among those stranded at the bus stops were a homeless senior citizen who was on his way to buy his medicines from a subsidised store since the morning.

As he waited for his bus that never came, he developed uneasiness and died of heart failure in the afternoon, despite best efforts by a nurse who was also among them.

The opposition said the chief minister and his ministers, who were all in the assembly throughout the day, ignored their calls to end the stalemate under their nose.

The tourism and temple minister Kadakampally Surendran’s derogatory remarks against Congress legislator A. Vincent, who raised the demand for a discussion, provoked them.

The minister also said they could not clear the roads as KSRTC drivers parked the buses in the middle of the streets and went away with their keys, bringing the city traffic to a halt.

“The unionists held the capital city for hostage for six years, and you remained silent spectators even after the death of an innocent citizen,” said Vincent.

“The CM and transport minister are running away from us. They could have solved the issue with just a phone call. It reminds us of the Delhi government during riots.”

The opposition members rushed to the well and started raising slogans when Surendran insulted Vincent saying why they deputed a backbencher when seniors were there.

They ignored Speaker P. S ree rama krishna n’ s call to return to their seats, following which opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala urged them to go back.

Chennithala said the notice for a discussion on the death of an innocent, homeless citizen was to the CM, but he was not participating in the business despite being there.

He equated Vijayan to “Nero fiddling while Rome was burning.” He said he had sent a note yesterday to the transport minister seeking his intervention in vain.