The Opposition UDF boycotted proceedings in the Assembly on Thursday in protest against Speaker M B Rajesh outright rejection of an adjournment motion on Swapna Suresh's new revelations about Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's former private secretary M Sivasankar's role in the gold smuggling scandal.
In a break with tradition, the Speaker even refused to give the mike to the opposition leader after rejecting the adjournment motion. The Speaker went ahead with the proceedings unmindful of the noisy slogan-shouting by the UDF members who massed before the Speaker's podium. After making the opposition wait for nearly 15 minutes, the Speaker allowed the opposition leader to speak. "There has never been a precedent of a Speaker disallowing an opposition leader the chance to speak after the rejection of an adjournment motion," Satheesan said. The Speaker said he could not give him the mike as the UDF members had by then trooped to the well.
Satheesan also questioned the Speaker's logic to deny the motion. The Speaker had said that the gold smuggling issue was under investigation and the case was in the courts. The opposition leader said that the House had taken up adjournment motions on the bar bribery scandal and the solar issue even when these cases were under investigation and sub-judice.
Satheesan wanted the Speaker to reconsider his decision. M B Rajesh refused. "It is fear that is ruling this Pinarayi Vijayan government. This is why you are afraid to take up the issue in the House. This is undemocratic and will not be allowed," Satheesan shot back.
The Speaker ignored the taunt and went ahead with the proceedings. The UDF members, who had gone back to their seats when the opposition leader was given the mike, rushed back to the well of the house and started raising aggressive slogans making fun of the Speaker.
The Speaker carried on seemingly unbothered by the ruckus created by the opposition till the UDF members lifted a large banner blocking the Speaker's view. "The Chief Minister should drop his silence on the dollar smuggling issue, " the banner read.
The erection of the banner right in front of him provoked the Speaker. He stood up and said that it was against rules. He warned the the opposition leader against such an action. Satheesan remained unmoved. The Speaker then walked out without a word.
After the Speaker walked out in a huff, he convened a meeting of legislative party leaders, including the Chief Minister and the opposition leader, in his official chamber. After the meeting, the opposition leader announced that the UDF was boycotting the day's proceedings. "You have deprived the opposition of our right to move an adjournment motion citing unfair reasons and in total disregard of precedents. We fear that his would happen again, " Satheesan said before leading the UDF walk out.
Later, talking to reporters at the Assembly media hall, the opposition leader said that Swapna Suresh had confirmed the UDF's earlier charge that over Rs 9 cr of the Rs 20 crore foreign assistance for Life Mission flats was given as bribes. "Nearly 46% of the assistance went as bribes," Satheesan said. "The accused (Swapna Suresh) has even revealed that it was the bribe money that was kept in her bank account," he added.
The opposition leader also said that the accused herself had said that her Space Park appointment was done in an improper manner with the knowledge of Sivasankar.
"If the government had recommended a CBI enquiry into former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the basis of a statement by the solar scam accused, why do they fear a discussion in the Assembly on the basis of the new revelations made by the gold smuggling accused," he said.
