Thiruvananthapuram: The opposition Congress-led UDF members on Monday raised placards and banner in the Kerala Assembly seeking the resignation of General Education Minister V Sivankutty in a case related to the infamous ruckus incident in the Assembly in2015.
As soon as the minister began speaking during the question hour, the opposition members stood from their seats with slogans like "resign and go out" and showed protest placards and banner.
It is for the first time that the Minister was arriving in the House after the Supreme Court had dismissed a government plea last week seeking withdrawal of a criminal case against LDF MLAs, including Sivankutty, in connection with the ruckus six years ago.
The banner could be read as "the Chief Minister should be ready to remove the Education Minister, who is facing trial in the case, from the cabinet."
Despite the sloganeering, the minister continued to gave his reply to the questions raised by the members.
Intervening in the issue, Speaker M B Rajesh alerted the Opposition Members that raising banners and placards in the House was a violation of Assembly rules.
Incidentally what must be noted is during the present session, the opposition by and large even while expressing their dissent on various issues, is yet to step into the well of the house, which in the previous assemblies was a normal expression of protest.
The decision of the Supreme Court on the ruckus in the Kerala Assembly in 2015 has come as a jolt to the two-month-old second Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in the State.
The court had dismissed the appeals, including the one filed by the Kerala government against the High Court order dismissing its plea seeking withdrawal of a criminal case lodged against LDF MLAs in connection with the ruckus.
The apex court had said allowing the prosecution to be withdrawn would amount to interference in the normal course of justice for illegitimate reasons.
Though the UDF had been pressing for the resignation of Sivankutty in the wake of the court verdict, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan categorically rejected their demand last week itself.
The vandalism took place on March 13, 2015 when erstwhile State Finance Minister K M Mani was presenting the state Budget for the new fiscal.
The then CPM-led opposition had taken a strong stand that Mani, who was accused of taking a bribe of Rs one crore from a bar owner for reopening closed bars, would not be allowed to present the Budget.
When Mani began his speech, the Left legislators went berserk, throwing out the Speaker's chair from the dais and also damaging the electronic equipment on his table.
The list of the other accused included former State Minister E P Jayarajan K Kunju Ahamed, C K Sadasivan and K Ajith, who are no longer legislators, while K T Jaleel, the former Higher Education Minister is a legislator now.
Since 2020, the late KM Mani's party - Kerala Congress (M), now led by his son Jose K Mani moved out from the Congress-led UDF and is presently the third biggest ally of the Vijayan government and has been given a cabinet berth.
(With PTI and IANS inputs)
