Oppostion protests continue in Kerala Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition disrupted the proceedings of Kerala Assembly on Thursday also, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House briefly.

The Opposition had started their protest during the question hour itself, shouting slogans every time Ministers alleged to be involved in bar-bribery or solar scam rose to answer questions.

During the zero hour, Opposition walked out after the Speaker refused permission to move an adjournment motion over vigilance case against Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash; only to return to stage a demonstration in the well of the House. The Speaker then adjourned the House for a brief while.

As the Opposition members continued their protests even after the sitting was resumed, the Speaker rushed through the business and adjourned House after the discussion on the Budget for 2016-17 was initiated by Deputy Speaker Palode Ravi.

The Opposition maintained that the charge-sheet against Mr. Prakash had become operative again with the Director of Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau Shankar Reddy rejecting the recommendation of the investigating officer to drop the case against Mr. Prakash. It was a serious situation that a Minister who was named in a charge-sheet was continuing in office.

Earlier, opposing the notice for adjournment motion, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the case was more than 10 years old. The court had ordered further investigation of the case in 2014 following petition by a person by name Abdulrahiman. The Revenue Minister had taken bail in the case, and the report of the investigation was yet to be submitted to the court. The government was not privy to proceedings of the Vigilance Director as he was to take independent decision on such matters and submit report to the court.

Mr. Chennithala said that the case against Mr. Prakash was politically motivated. There was no need for urgent discussion of the matter as the Vigilance report was yet to be filed before Court.

Mr. K. Suresh Kurup, who had given notice for the adjournment motion, said that the complaint in the case was by a Congress man. His allegation was that Mr. Prakash demanded Rs. 25 lakhs for sanctioning a wholesale ration depot. He had testified that Mr. Prakash had told him that he was getting Rs. 50 lakh from other applicants for 29 whole sale depots. But a lower amount was being sought from Mr. Abdulrahiman as he was a Congress man.  He did not get the depot since he had not paid the bribe.

Denying the allegations against him, Mr. Prakash said that Mr. Adulrahiman did not get the wholesale depot since he was not resident of the area where the depot was to be sanctioned. The rules required that the applicant should be a resident of the area. The depot was allocated to a local.

However, the LDF which came to power later cancelled the depot on appeal from Mr. Abdulrahiman and sanctioned it to Mr. Abdulrahiman. When he raised the illegal sanctioning of the depot to him in the Assembly, the then government had rushed to cancel it.

The allegation against him (Minister) was only that he had asked for Rs. 25 lakh, Mr. Prakash noted.