The Kerala Assembly on Monday plunged into pandemonium over the brutal murder of Youth Congress leader SP Shuhaib (29) in Mattannur, Kannur on February 12 with Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejecting the demand for a CBI probe into the killing and the protests against this by the Congress-led Opposition UDF forcing Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan to adjourn the House for the day.

“The State police have already arrested six men for the murder and the probe is progressing on the right direction. Even the Opposition has agreed that those arrested are the actual accused and are not ‘dummy culprits’ as it had alleged earlier. Therefore, the issue of a CBI probe does not arise at this moment,” Pinarayi said in the Assembly.

Trouble erupted in the House right at the start of Question Hour with Opposition members, who had come with banners and placards reading ‘Red Terror, Saffron Terror’ referring to violence allegedly perpetrated by the CPI(M) and RSS-BJP, raising protests over Shuhaib’s killing and the lynching of tribal youth Madhu (27) in Attapadi, Palakkad on February 22.

Though Speaker Sreeramakrishnan pleaded for calm by offering to consider the notice for an adjournment motion moved by a Congress member and for a submission by Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala on the issue after the Question Hour but the Opposition persisted in the demand for urgent discussion by suspending Question Hour.

The protest intensified as the Speaker rejected the demand and the Opposition members rushed to the Well of the House and later to the podium of the Speaker. Heated exchanges broke out shortly between members from the Opposition and ruling sides, forcing the Speaker to suspend Question Hour just eight minutes after the start of the tenth session of the 14th Assembly.

Requesting leave for the adjournment motion after the House resumed an hour later, Congress member Sunny Joseph of the Congress alleged that Shuhaib was hacked to death on the basis of a conspiracy. “One of the accused, MV Akash, has close connections with (CPI(M)’s Kannur district secretary) P Jayarajan but this fact is kept concealed,” he said.

Describing as “unkindest of all cuts” the murder of Shuhaib, who had suffered 41 hack wounds, he said, “The arrested accused are the weapons of the CPI(M)’s Kannur lobby. The police are dancing to the tune of the CPI(M). Those who had ordered the killing should be caught. A Central agency should probe this murder,” Sunny Joseph said.

Supplementing Sunny Joseph’s arguments, Opposition Leader Chennithala asked Pinarayi whether he was prepared to fulfill the promise made by Law Minister AK Balan after a peace meet in Kannur on February 21 that the Government was ready to recommend a CBI probe if the victim’s family would be satisfied only with that.

Rejecting the demand for the CBI probe while replying to the notice for the adjournment motion, the Chief Minister said, “We can understand the family’s sentiments. But the fact is that a fair police investigation is on.” He also rejected Chennithala’s demand for slapping of UAPA provisions on the accused.

The Opposition members, enraged by Pinarayi’s explanation, rushed to the well of the House once again. Alleging that the CPI(M) seemed to like the taste of human blood, Chennithala asked, “Why is the Government unwilling to recommend a CBI probe? Is it because the CPI(M) fears that its top men could get trapped?”

When the Speaker warned the Opposition against crossing the “limits of decency”, Chennithala said that the sentiments of the people on the street would reflect in the Assembly. Convinced that going ahead with proceedings would be impossible, the Speaker adjourned the House for the day by noon after rushing through the businesses of the day.

At the same time, Sharmeela, sister of the slain Youth Congress leader said the family would not hesitate to go on an indefinite protest fast demanding a CBI probe. “How can we trust the ongoing probe? The Government is being unresponsive to our sentiments. I want to know why my brother was killed so brutally,” she said.