Kerala: Opposition-Speaker spat turns ugly, watch-&-ward staff gets physical

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Speaker A N Shamseer outrightly rejecting an opposition notice seeking discussion on the attack on a 16-year-old girl in Thiruvananthapuram led to unprecedented scenes in front of his chamber in the assembly on Wednesday.
The attempt by the watch-and-ward staff to forcefully remove the UDF MLAs who protested in front of the speaker's chamber alleging bias led to a commotion, which was further worsened with some ministers, ruling front MLAs and their staff members intervening in the melee. At least four MLAs and seven watch-and-ward staff have been injured in the tussle.
The UDF MLAs had earlier boycotted the assembly proceedings after the speaker refused to admit the notice citing that there was nothing of immediate importance and the matter was not of recent occurrence.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan was even denied a chance to speak, which is the usual practice when the opposition takes exception to the speaker’s decisions. The schoolgirl was attacked by a group of youths, reportedly after mistaking her for a boy, at Chenkottukonam in Thiruvananthapuram on March 9 and police had arrested two youths.
The opposition MLAs, who decided to protest in front of the speaker's chamber, sat on the floor and shouted slogans against the decision and asked the speaker not to become a puppet of the chief minister.
The speaker, meanwhile, rushed through the assembly proceedings and was escorted to his chamber, cordoned off by ruling front MLAs, ministers and their staff members. Some ruling front MLAs even tried to provoke the opposition while senior CPM leader and minister K Radhakrishnan intervened to resolve the tension.
Chalakudy MLA T J Saneesh Kumar Joseph developed some uneasiness in midst of heated arguments and was shifted to the medical room. Senior Congress leader Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, who almost fell down after he was pushed aside, was seen arguing with the additional chief marshal.
After the speaker entered his chamber, the watch-andward staff dragged and removed the opposition MLAs from the area. MLAs A K M Ashraff, K K Rema and T V Ebrahim were among those injured. The tension was defused after the watch-and-ward staff were withdrawn from the premises following a request from opposition leader V D Satheesan.
Watch-andward members, including women, also complained of injuries in the “attack” by MLAs. Satheesan later came down heavily on the chief minister, alleging an attempt to turn the opposition and the speaker against each other as part of his family agenda.
He alleged that PWD and tourism minister P A Muhammed Riyas (who is also the chief minister’s son-inlaw) could not gain the popularity that Shamseer was getting despite publicity stunts, which is why an attempt was being made to portray the speaker in bad light.
He also asked what authority did Riyas who got the ministerial berth in "management quota” have to make a boorish comment against the opposition while discharging business in the House. Earlier speaking in the assembly, Riyas had said that the opposition had a spine of banana stalk.
Satheesan demanded action against ruling front MLAs K M Sachin Dev and H Salam and some watch-andward staff who assaulted the opposition MLAs. He said the speaker had expressed helplessness when he met him to register the opposition protest on Tuesday.
The opposition has decided not to cooperate with the government further until the issues are sorted out. It boycotted the business advisory meeting on Wednesday. Six UDF MLAs — Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Uma Thomas, K K Rema, T V Ebrahim, A K M Ashraff and Saneesh Kumar Joseph — have petitioned the speaker, demanding action against watch-and-ward staff.