A case was filed against six LDF MLAs for destroying property worth Rs 2 lakh inside the Assembly while trying to prevent Mani from presenting the state budget in 2015. File PhotoThiruvananthapuram: A case registered against LDF legislators for creating ruckus during budget presentation by former finance minister K M Mani is likely to be withdrawn.
Former MLA and CPM leader V Sivankutty had written to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to withdraw the case. With the budget session of the Assembly set to begin on Monday, the government is moving fast to take a decision on the case. Sivankutty's plea has been forwarded to the legal department by the CM's office.
The incident that happened on March 13, 2015 was seen as a blot on Kerala. A case was filed against six LDF MLAs for destroying property worth Rs 2 lakh inside the Assembly while trying to prevent Mani from presenting the state budget.
Those named in the charge sheet filed in the Thiruvananthapuram judicial magistrate court included LDF MLAs K T Jaleel, Kunjahammed Master, K Ajith, C K Sadasivan, E P Jayarajan and V Sivankutty.
An attempt to stop the then finance minister Mani, who was embroiled in the bar scam then, from presenting the Budget led to the brawl between the ruling and opposition members, literally sending shock waves through the Kerala Assembly and the political landscape.
The ruckus was led by Sivankutty who rushed into the well of the House and shouted and gestured in front of the Speaker's podium. The dramatic scenes unfolded after the general debate on the Budget and the reply by the finance minister was stalled by the opposition members.
While Mani was announcing more schemes in his reply speech, Sivankutty got up and created a ruckus. He left his seat and reached behind the opposition leader and started saying something. By then, Babu M Palissery and V S Sunil Kumar also reached there.
When the opposition criticized the finance minister for announcing projects only in constituencies of ruling MLAs, Mani asked them to wait till his speech is over. The Speaker too gave a similar directive.
But the opposition refused to heed this and by that time Sivankutty was in front of the presiding officer's podium and started shouting at the Speaker. Though the Speaker asked him to return to his seat, he didn't pay heed. The Speaker's chair was overturned, his desk vandalized and gadgets damaged.
Though the 15 MLAs who indulged in violence were identified by cops there were no further action against them.
Amid the din, Jameela Prakasham had allegedly bit Congress MLA Sivadasan Nair. Sivankutty had folded his dhoti, stepped on the table over a watch and ward staffer and rushed towards Mani.
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