Forward women MLAs' petition to police: Achuthanandan

Thiruvananthapuram: Keeping up the pressure on the government, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan on Thursday asked Speaker N Sakthan to forward to police the complaint of LDF women MLAs that the ruling front legislators had attacked and molested them on March 13.

In a letter to the Speaker, the CPI-M veteran said Jameela Prakasam (JD-U) had lodged a complaint with Sakthan in this regard on March 13 itself.

The complaint alleged that UDF MLAs K Sivadasan Nair, Domenic Presentation, A T George and M A Waheed (all Congress) and Labour Minister and RSP leader Shibu Baby John had attacked LDF women MLAs Jameela Prakasam, E S Bijimol, K S Saleekha, K K Lathika and Geetha Gopi.

As per a Supreme Court judgement, the petition should have been forwarded to police on the same day itself, but the Speaker had not done it.

Terming it as a serious violation of safety laws for women, Achuthanandan said under the present circumstances Jameela Prakasam's petition should be handed over to police.

Meanwhile, Sivadasan Nair denied the charges by Jameela Prakam and said they were concocted

"I have known Prakasam for many years. We are members in the house for the past four years," he said.

He alleged that the Opposition had attacked UDF members.

The Assembly witnessed violent incidents on March 13 when Finance Minister K M Mani, facing charges of bribery in the bar scam, presented the Budget amidst protests by CPI(M)-led LDF Opposition, which demanded his resignation and insisted that he not present it.