Parole row rocks Kerala Assembly, UDF stages walkout

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Legislative Assembly witnessed uproar on Thursday after the Congress-led Opposition moved an adjournment motion seeking a discussion on parole granted to convicted prisoners. UDF MLAs protested inside the House and staged a walkout after Speaker A M Shamseer rejected the motion moved by Revolutionary Marxist Party of India MLA K K Rema.

While dismissing the notice, the Speaker observed that the issue was not of urgent importance and could be raised as a submission. However, Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan questioned the decision, alleging that criminals were being illegally granted parole and were creating law-and-order issues outside the prison system.

“If the government is not interested in holding a discussion on an issue, why does such a provision exist? Is it not important that criminals are being released onto the streets?” he asked.

“Convicts in the TP Chandrasekharan murder case were granted parole for more than 1,000 days. Parole should be allowed only when a family member of the convict is in critical condition. The Chief Minister must break his silence on this issue,” Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan said while addressing the media.

“The CPM is afraid of the convicts in the TP Chandrasekharan murder case because there is a larger conspiracy behind it,” he alleged.

He further alleged that the life of VK Kunhikrishnan—who was expelled from the CPM’s Kannur district committee after raising allegations against the party—was under serious threat. Satheesan claimed that a prisoner released on parole had participated in a protest against Kunhikrishnan in Kannur. Accusing the CPM of misusing the parole system, Satheesan said the party was releasing “notorious criminals” as part of a conspiracy to intimidate and harm Kunhikrishnan.

When the speaker dismissed the adjournment motion, Satheesan pointed out that CPM leader and Payyannur municipal councillor V K Nishad, who was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in December last year, was granted parole a month later.

Responding to the UDF’s allegations, Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh said parole had been granted to Nishad on January 8, but the issue was not raised when the Assembly session began last month.

“The Opposition has brought this motion because it is facing a dearth of issues to raise in the Assembly,” he alleged.

Rajesh also claimed that during the Oommen Chandy government, a convict in the T P Chandrasekharan murder case was granted a reduction in sentence.

Later, Opposition MLAs raised placards, prompting the Speaker to remark that printed materials had been brought into the House after they realised the motion would not be admitted.

“They do not want the issue to be discussed in the Assembly,” Shamseer said.

Following this, Opposition MLAs entered the well of the House and raised banners protesting the granting of parole to convicted prisoners, shouting slogans. However, proceedings in the House continued despite the protest.