Kerala Assembly session ends in 21 minutes

Thiruvananthapuram: With the Congress-led opposition continuing to disrupt the Kerala Assembly proceedings for the second day in a row on Thursday, the Speaker adjourned the House in about 20 minutes.

Demanding an end to prohibitory orders in place in Sabarimala, the opposition wanted suspension of the question hour to discuss the "poor facilities" being provided in the temple town.

Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan then suspended both the question and zero hours and rushed through listed business of the day before adjourning the house in 21 minutes flat.

When the assembly session commenced at 9 a.m, Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala got up and demanded that Sabarimala should be taken up for discussion by suspending the question hour.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan replied: "Since everything was said yesterday, there is no need even for seeking leave for moving an adjournment motion and hence the suspending of question hour, need not be taken up at all."

This led to sloganeering by the opposition members who stood near the Speaker's podium, forcing Sreeramakrishnan to rush through the day's business.

The prohibitory orders in the temple town has been clamped till Friday midnight.