MLA spooks Kerala House with grenade

CONGRESS MLA SAID HE BROUGHT THE GRENADE TO SHOW ITS INTENSITY AND CLAIMED POLICE WERE USING THESE ON HIS PARTY’S WORKERS

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress leader Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan, a former state home minister, created a flutter in the Kerala assembly on Wednesday when he pulled out a dud stun grenade while criticising police action on Youth Congress activists in the state capital last week.

He claimed the police used powerful stun grenades on party workers who were protesting against the murder of Youth Congress activist Shuhaib who was hacked to death allegedly by a group of CPI(M) workers in the trouble-torn district of Kannur in North Kerala last month.

Taking out the grenade from a cover, he said “police raj” was prevalent in the state.

When ruling legislators protested vehemently, the Congress leader said he brought the grenade, which he said was past its expiry date, in the House to show its intensity. Later he handed over the grenade to security personnel. Ruling MLAs sought action against the legislator and the Speaker later assured them that he would look into it.

He said rules did not permit members to carry explosives or weapons to the House. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the member flouted all norms.

This is not the first time such a case is being reported from the Kerala assembly.

In 2012, CPI(M) legislator EP Jayarajan had brought two used tear gas grenades to the House to show “police atrocities” against the party cadres. Interestingly, Thiruvanchur Radhakrishnan was the home minister then.