It was a least provocative issue, price rise, that the UDF chose as the topic for its first adjournment motion this ninth assembly session on Tuesday.
Usually, when inflation is the focus in the assembly, the in-house drill moves along predictable lines. The opposition would reel out the current prices of essential commodities to show they are skyrocketing and would castigate the government for not intervening effectively in the market. And the civil supplies minister, in turn, would bring out his own set of figures to show things are fine. The opposition then, saying the government was not doing enough, would stage a walk out in protest.
However, on Tuesday, Congress MLA P C Vishnunath who moved the motion and later Opposition Leader V D Satheesan who made the walk out speech, more than painting a picture of galloping prices, were more interested in causing a rift between government departments, and therefore, among ministers.
Vishnunath said that he was actually speaking for the Civil Supplies minister. "This is a motion the minister should have moved," Vishnunath said. He said the Civil Supplies Department was given just R 250 crore when it needed Rs 3,500 crore.
Satheesan said Vishnunath was spot on. "I agree to what Vishnu said about the Civil Supplies minister being the right person to move this motion," he said.
The Opposition Leader said that the Finance Department was blocking the funds to Civil Supplies. "When the Department has not even paid its suppliers, how is it expected to place new orders," Satheesan said. But he was quick to exonerate the Civil Supplies minister. "Don't be under the impression that I am criticising you," he told G R Anil. "What can you do if the Finance Department is not transferring funds," he said.
The Opposition Leader then drew another Department into the discussion, essentially to hint at a general break down of collective responsibility. He alleged that the Agriculture Department and the Finance Department were fighting against each other through the media. "The Agriculture Department, through a news report, said the Finance Department was not paying it's dues. The Finance Department, on its part, was behind another report that questioned the utilisation of Rs 2500 crore given to the Agriculture Department," Satheesan said.
Finance minister K N Balagopal was by then on his feet. The Opposition Leader, however, refused to yield and let the minister speak. Instead, the Opposition Leader hurled some posers at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
"Don't we require the Supplyco? Can it function with such huge financial burden? Have you ever intervened in this dispute between the departments?" The Chief Minister did not respond.
Earlier, in the course of his speech, Satheesan had also likened Supplyco's fate to that of KSRTC. Therefore, Transport Minister Antony Raju was on his feet and looked provoked right through the Opposition Leader's speech. Satheesan, who had repeatedly refused to allow the finance minister to make his point, was equally dismissive of the Transport Minister.
Satheesan, however, was more receptive to the objections of CPI ministers G R Anil and P Prasad. Anil objected when Satheesan said that none of the Supplyco outlets in Kerala had all the 13 essential goods. The minister dared Satheesan to conduct a joint visit to these outlets. Satheesan accepted.
P Prasad sounded ruffled when the Opposition Leader said the prices of vegetables in Horticorp outlets were higher than open market prices. Satheesan allowed Prasad to raise his objection. The Opposition Leader then said that he read out from the official price list published by Horticorp and said he would share it with the minister.
Otherwise, the Opposition Leader demonstrated an absolute intolerance to objections raised by any other ministers. A member can intervene in a speech of another only if the member who has the mike agrees to yield.
Satheesan was unwilling to yield to any other minister. The Finance Minister was justified in insisting on having his side heard as the Opposition Leader had made the grave charge that his Department was working against the Civil Supplies and Agriculture departments. Speaker A N Shamseer repeatedly asked whether he would let the Finance Minister speak but Satheesan refused.
After the UDF staged the walk out, the Finance Minister registered his protest. "When such wrong things are said about departments, there seems to be no protection against this. In such a case, the Opposition Leader should at least have the grace to listen," Balagopal said.
