Kerala opposition boycotts House for 2nd day

TRIVANDRUM: The Congress party-led opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) members continued to boycot the state legislature for the second consecutive day on Friday.

They are on strike both within and outside demanding the removal of education minister V. Sivan Kuty who is standing trial for the 2015 Assembly vandalism.

This week, the Supreme Court dismissed the state’s Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led government’s plea to stop the trial, which the Kerala High Court had rejected earlier.

Besides Kuty, five other defendants, all CPI (M) members, including EP Jayarajan and KT Jaleel, who were ministers in the last cabinet, are out on bail pending trial. Kuty, who assumed office last month in the second cabinet of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was absent in the House when the opposition legislators staged protests.

Leader of the opposition VD Satheesan announced the boycot ater making a brief statement against Vijayan questioning the apex court soon ater the session began.

On Thursday, the protest began ater Speaker MB Rajesh rejected their demand for adjournment of the regular business to discuss the “shame” they brought to the state.

Vijayan said it was wrong on the part of the then UDF government to file a police case against an incident on the House’s floor.

“Just because a Minister has been asked to face trial, I fail to understand the demand for his resignation. Under no circumstances will Kuty resign,” he said.

On March 13, 2015, they turned violent and stormed the dais of the speaker and unleashed violence to prevent finance minister KM Mani presenting the annual budget.

Those who unleashed violence included former ministers G Sudhakaran, Thomas Isaac, MA Baby, Elamaram Kareem and VS Sunil Kumar.

Another troublemaker legislator, P Sreeramakrishnan, went on to become the speaker of the house and Mani’s party joined the ruling coalition later.

But they faced no prosecution as they didn’t destroy public properties while engaging in violence and clashing with the marshals guarding the speaker.

Vijayan decided to withdraw the case ater the state elections and change of guard in 2016 on a request by Kuty.

Kuty had hopped across the desks and protested until he fainted during the ruckus telecast live.

The government’s decision drew widespread criticism from all quarters and Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala, the then home minister, and others moved the court.