Sivankutty MLA writes to CM to drop case on Assembly violence

Tiruvananthapuram: CPI(M) leader and former MLA V Sivankutty has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking withdrawal of a case registered against him and five others in connection with the "unprecedented" violence�witnessed by the state assembly in 2015.

Sivankutty today said he had written to the chief minister seeking withdrawal of the police case against him and 5 other LDF members and a similar letter had also been sent to Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan.

According to the Marxist leader, the case should be withdrawn as it was "politically motivated" and it was up to the chief minister to take a decision.

The Kerala Assembly had witnessed unprecedented and ugly scenes on March 13, 2015 as opposition members tried to prevent then Finance Minister KM Mani, who was facing allegations in bar bribery scam, from presenting the budget. Some opposition members had destroyed the Speakers podium, hurled his chair and engaged in a scuffle with the watch-and-ward staff. Following the unruly happenings inside the assembly,�a case was registered against six LDF MLAs under the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act, criminal trespass and mischief causing damage. Strongly opposing any move to drop the case, Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, said UDF would oppose any move by the CPI(M) led LDF government to withdraw the case as it will be a "mockery of democracy."

"We will strongly oppose any move by the government to withdraw the case and even take legal steps to prevent it," he told reporters here. According to Sivankutty, they had faced suspension on the matter and a police case was registered only to settle political scores. The case had been filed against K T Jaleel, presently minister in the Pinarayi Vijayans cabinet, E P Jayarajan, C K Sadasivan, K Ajit, Kunhahamed Master and Sivankutty.

According to the complaint by assembly secretary, property worth Rs 5 lakh had been destroyed in the violence that took place on March 13, 2015�when the ruling and opposition MLAs had come to blows over budget presentation by Mani.