The LDF government used strong words in the Assembly on Thursday to denounce the KSRTC flash strike that held the capital city to ransom for nearly six hours and led to the death of a 65-year-old heart patient on March 4.
Yet, the government left many questions unanswered and gave the impression that it was not confident of the way it had managed the flash strike.
"It was a strike most uncouth and dirty. This can never be considered a form of protest," said tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran, who was deputed to defend the government in the Assembly on Thursday.
However, both Transport Minister A K Saseendran and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were not present when Congress MLA M Vincent moved a motion in the Assembly to suspend all other legislative businesses to discuss the flash strike on March 4.
Whenever the government had found itself in trouble in the Assembly, it was usual for Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to boldly take on the reins of the fight. But on Thursday, even Pinarayi was surprisingly silent.
It was told that Saseendran had a family issue to attend. But the Chief Minister's absence was curious as he was present inside the House during the Question Hour but preferred to retire to his room in the Legislative Complex when the adjournment motion was taken up.
Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the issue was so grave and unprecedented that it was "improper" for Kadakampally to talk on behalf of the Chief Minister. Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan took the stand that any Cabinet minister had the right to express the government's opinion.
Chennithala replied that the transport minister's absence was understandable as he was busy with some personal things. "But the Chief Minister was here till now. Also, the notice for the motion was given to the Chief Minister as the police force was equally responsible for what happened yesterday. There was absolute break down of law and order yesterday and he should have been in the floor of the House to explain the steps his government had taken," Chennithala said.
Mutual insult
Kadakampally Surendran apparently took the opposition's objection to him standing in for the Chief Minister and the transport minister as a personal insult. "If you were so serious about the issue then you should have avoided a back-bencher like M Vincent and deputed someone more senior and from the front benches to raise the issue," Surendran told the opposition.
Provoked, the opposition members rushed to the foot of the Speaker's podium demanding action against the minister for insulting a member of the House. "All members in the House have equal rights and opportunities," the Speaker said.
Kadakampally said he had no intention of insulting Vincent but ended up repeating his earlier provocative statement in other words. "I was only trying to say that they (the opposition) should have chosen a more serious person to raise such a grave issue," he said. To mollify the opposition, the Speaker said anything insulting would be struck down.
Troubling questions
But there were questions that Kadakampally failed to answer satisfactorily. "You had claimed you had the habit of intervening in all the issues related to the capital city," Chennithala told the minister. "If so, what did you do to solve the crisis that dragged on for six hours," he asked.
Kadakampally said he had called up the City Police Commissioner the moment he came to know of the blockade from some union leaders. "The Commissioner was at that time holding talks with union leaders and told me that the issue would be settled soon," Kadakampally said. "So, did you follow up after an hour," Chennithala asked. There was no answer.
Kadakampally said the blockade worsened because KSRTC drivers switched off the ignition, took the keys and left the buses. "It is not that the government did not talk to anyone but these drivers refused to return and move the buses away," the minister said.
Key issue and Collector's pinkie
"Would the buses stand still just because the drivers absconded with the key," Kerala Congress (Mani) leader P J Joseph asked. "Then what was the police doing all this while," he added. Chennithala too asked what the police top brass was doing all the six hours when the city came to a standstill. No one answered this charge.
Chennithala also wanted to know why KSRTC's assistant transport officer (N K Jacob Sam Lopez) was arrested when he was only doing his job. Kadakampally said KSRTC employees had attempted to manhandle the conductor of a private bus.
The government's decision to ask the district collector to conduct a probe into the issue was also questioned. "It is strange that you have appointed the very man who had failed to even lift his pinkie to stop the crisis to investigate into the issue," Chennithala said.
