The appearance of Parakkal Abdulla wearing a mask and gloves triggered a commotion in the Assembly on Monday.
Mr. Abdulla, who represents Kuttiyadi, entered the floor when Health Minister K.K. Shylaja was replying to a question on the spread of fever.
Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan then expressed doubts about Mr. Abdulla sporting the mask and gloves. Ms. Shylaja said the Health Department had laid norms for wearing a mask. Either Mr. Abdulla should be infected by Nipah virus or others on the floor should have it, she said.
This led to an uproar and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his reservations about the act at a time when the State was making an effort to contain the virus spread.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala described it as a symbolic act. Mr. Abdulla said that everyone in Kozhikode was wearing mask and glove and hence he sported it as a symbol.