For nearly four hours, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan had to sit along with members when the Assembly witnessed heated debate on the motion moved by the Opposition seeking his removal as the Speaker .
Even as M. Ummer of the IUML was moving the resolution after the ruling of Deputy Speaker V. Sasi, it was Deputy Leader of the Congress Legislature Party K. C. Joseph who brought to the attention of the Chair that Mr. Sreeramakrishnan was not in the House.
“Where is the Speaker? Who will reply to the motion? He should come to the House and reply to the motion,” Mr. Joseph said. Following this, Mr. Sreeramakrishnan walked into the House and occupied the first seat on the right side, earmarked for the Deputy Speaker and adjacent to Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala.
The Speaker sitting in the House along with members listening to the discussion on the motion seeking his removal and the Deputy Speaker controlling the proceedings for nearly four hours was a rare sight.
Mr. Sreeramakrishnan kept his cool even when the UDF legislators launched a scathing attack and when Mr. Chennithala pointed out that the Speaker was one of those censured for the unruly incidents in the House and for throwing the chair of the Speaker from the podium in 2014 during the previous UDF regime.
Ironically, the Speaker had to reply to the motion seeking his removal and the allegations against him from the Deputy Speaker’s seat. The 35-minute reply was marred by heated arguments. Once Mr. Joseph was heard saying to Mr. Sreeramakrishnan to address the Chair and not the treasury benches.
