Ruckus over Sabarimala gold case continues in Kerala Assembly
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Thiruvananthapuram: Ministers and ruling LDF MLAs were accused by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan on Thursday of making unparliamentary statements and purposefully interfering with the Kerala Legislative Assembly's operations.
Speaking to the media at the Assembly gates after walking out of the Assembly, Satheesan claimed that the Speaker permitted ministers and MLAs to make derogatory remarks while a large number of watch-and-ward staff were employed to keep opposition members under control during a nonviolent demonstration.
“The opposition continued its protest, demanding the resignation of Minister Vasavan and the removal of Devaswom Board members. Watch-and-ward personnel prevented M. Vincent from participating freely, and Saneesh Kumar Joseph was injured. The Speaker tried to carry on proceedings with excessive security staff, ignoring unparliamentary behaviour by ministers and MLAs,” Satheesan said, IANS reported.
He added that CPI(M) legislator P.P. Chitharanjan insulted persons with disabilities through derogatory remarks, and Minister Ganesh Kumar targeted M. Vincent, president of the KSRTC INTUC workers’ union.
“The Speaker allowed all of this to happen. Ministers Rajesh and Rajeev repeatedly made statements demeaning the opposition. This is anti-democratic,” he said.
Satheesan further said, “Am I supposed to go into political exile? The real issue is not that the Dwarapalaka idol of Lord Ayyappa was cut and sold; it is that we exposed it. If the court had not intervened, even the gold idol could have been taken. The current minister, Vasavan and Devaswom Board officials invited ‘sponsor’ Unnikrishnan Potti again this year to remove temple items. Now only Ayyappa’s gold idol remains,” added Satheesan.
With the Assembly session likely to be adjourned sine die on Thursday, the opposition has vowed to continue its stir outside the Assembly, with a series of protest marches across the state already announced.
On October 18, a march from Chengannur to Ayyappa’s birthplace is also planned to highlight the temple thefts and demand accountability from the Vijayan-led Left government.