Opposition stages walk out in the Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition members staged a walk out in the Assembly on Wednesday over murders in Kannur district and elsewhere.

The House also witnessed noisy scenes as UDF members rushed to the well of the House in protest against allegedly disparaging gestures made by Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran at Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala while he was speaking in the House ahead of the walk-out.

The protest ended only after Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan agreed to examine the video recording of the proceedings.

The Opposition staged the walk-out after Speaker refused permission to move an adjournment motion, given notice of by K. Muraleedharan (Congress), to discuss concerns raised by two political murders at Payyannur during the past two days and violent incidents in other parts of the State after the present government came in to power.

Responding to the notice, Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan said that police were making strong interventions to check violence. Communal elements to terrorists were trying to disturb law and order. The government wanted them to be isolated.

The Chief Minister recalled that 1722 murders had taken place during UDF rule. Attacks on policemen during the five years numbered 3497.

Mr. Vijayan said that the Director General of Police T. P. Senkumar was removed from the post because he was responsible for failures in some important cases.

He said that the House need not be adjourned to discuss the violent incidents as law and order had not broken down.

Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala said that Kannur district was turning into a killing field. The police were failing to act impartially. This was because the CPI (M) district secretary P. Jayarajan was leading the violent mobs and controlling the police. The UDF condemned the murder of both the CPI (M) worker and BJP worker.

Mr. Chennithala recalled that violence had come down in Kannur district during UDF rule as the government took strong measures. Now both CPI (M) and BJP were attacking each other’s homes. This should end.

Mr. Muraleedharan noted that the ruling parties at the Centre and State were involved in murders in the home district of the Chief Minister. The police were not acting as they were demoralised owing to indiscriminate transfers. Even the DGP was removed without minimum courtesies.

He reminded that ‘moral police’ had attacked a girl student and a youth at Kadackal and Mankada respectively.

Muslim League leader P. K. Kunhalikutty and Kerala Congress (M) leader K. M. Mani said that they were not saying that the law and order had broken down. But the present situation could lead to such a situation. “It is better to check it now,” Mr. Kunhalikutty said.

Mr. Mani said that the crime statistics of past were not justification for the ongoing violence.

Mr. O. Rajagopal also joined the walk-out protesting against Chief Minister blaming the BJP for the violence. The government should initiate steps to restore peace by calling conference of all parties involved.

He said that the police investigated cases actively if the victims belonged to the CPI (M). Else, they ignored them.