The Budget Session of the Kerala Assembly began on Friday with a stormy start as opposition leaders sought the resignation of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan over the latter’s alleged connection to the controversial gold smuggling case. Opposition legislators walked out of the House even as Governor Arif Mohammed Khan was reading out the address that marked the beginning of the session. The Governor continued with his speech, stating that he was delivering his constitutional responsibility.
The controversy surrounds Kerala Assembly Speaker's Assistant Private Secretary K Ayyappan, who finally appeared before the Customs Department on Friday to depose regarding the gold smuggling and US dollar smuggling cases. The agency had issued two summons to him, but he responded that he was busy owing to the Budget session. The summons had come after gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh and co-accused PS Sarith had reportedly deposed before Customs officials that the Speaker was allegedly involved in extending help in the dollars smuggling case.
Kerala Assembly's Secretary replied to the Customs that Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan's staff was protected under Section 165 of the House's rules of business and procedures. The opposition strongly opposed it, claiming that the protection was only for elected members of the Assembly and not the Speaker's staff.
On Thursday, opposition legislators came to the Assembly with banners and posters urging Speaker Sreeramakrishnan to quit. "The Speaker who is under suspicion in the dollars smuggling case (connected to the gold smuggling case) should resign to hail the esteem of the House," one of the posters stated.
Congress MLAs like VS Sivakumar, Shanimol Usman, M Vincent, Anil Akkara, VT Balram and Eldhose Kunnappilly sat on the steps outside the House raising slogans. “Speaker Sreeramakrishnan has put a blot on the House by interfering with a central agency's work. We cannot just sit and watch," Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala alleged. The Opposition also raised the death of two minor girls in Walayar in Palakkad under mysterious circumstances. Later, they resumed their protest at the entrance of the hall.
The slogans were raised aloud as the Governor left the House after finishing the speech.The state Budget for 2021-22 will be presented on January 15.
The Governor's address
Interestingly, the Governor didn’t omit any of the portions in the address despite the recent stand-off with the state government. The Governor had delayed giving his nod to hold a special session of the Assembly to pass a resolution seeking to withdraw the three contentious farms laws by the Union government. The address to be read out by the Governor is prepared by the state government and approved by the Cabinet.
He also read out the portions in which the Union government was criticised for the farm laws.
In the Budget session convened in January last year, the Governor chose to read out the state government’s stand against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in his policy address, but with a clarification that he didn't agree with the view.
Also read: Kerala Speaker’s staff member appears before Customs in dollar smuggling cases
Kerala gold smuggling case: Opposition moves notice against Speaker