Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly adjourned indefinitely on Tuesday following persistent protests by the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition. A sit-in protest by five opposition legislators in the well of the House prompted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to table a resolution to cut short legislative business and discontinue the session.
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Bills passed
The Assembly passed the resolution by voice vote, bringing the curtains down on the session marked by strident opposition protests and repeated disruptions. The House passed five bills without discussion. They are the Kerala Appropriation Bill, 2023, Kerala Finance Bill, 2023, Kerala Finance Bill (No. 2), 2023 and Public Health and Panchayati Raj amendment bills.
The Assembly also failed to consider the rule 50 notice by the Opposition for an adjournment debate on the sexual assault on an in-patient by a staff member at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. The government’s “reluctance” to withdraw the “false criminal cases” foisted against seven UDF legislators in connection with last Wednesday’s cacophonous protest in front of the Speaker’s office prompted the Opposition to adopt a confrontational stance in the Assembly.
They were also piqued by the chair’s “refusal” to take to task the two ruling front MLAs and watch and ward officials “responsible for manhandling” opposition members during the agitation. The UDF characterised the protests in the House as a moral struggle to protect their Parliamentary Privilege to move rule 50 notices for adjournment debates on matters of public import.
Rule 5 notices
The UDF accused Mr. Vijayan of disregarding the sanctity of the adjournment motions by insisting that the government vet rule 50 notices and sit on judgement on their merit and admissibility before allowing any discussion on the subject in the House. Mr. Vijayan’s “stubborn disinclination” to engage the Opposition to end the stalemate irked the UDF.
Opposition Leader V.D. Satheesan later said the government had “undemocratically guillotined” the Assembly session. He reminded the Speaker that sit-in protests in the well of the House had precedence. “E.M.S. Namboodiripad and V.S. Achuthanandan had protested similarly in 1974 and 2011, respectively,” Mr. Satheesan said.
Speaker’s words
Speaker A.N. Shamseer’s plea to the opposition members to return to their seats and ensure order fell on deaf ears. He accused the Opposition of insulting the Speaker’s chair and lampooning the House by parodying legislative proceedings in the Assembly’s well.
“Unfortunately, those with years of parliamentary experience are resorting to such methods,” he said.
Mr. Shamseer chided the Opposition for boycotting the Business Advisory Committee meeting and complaining that the government had not invited the UDF for discussions to end the deadlock.
“From 1957 to 2023, demands for adjournment motions have been rejected several times. I had assured in a ruling yesterday that the chair would uphold the Opposition’s Parliamentary Privilege to move rule 50 notices for adjournment debates on matters of vital public importance. But, the Opposition insulted the Speaker in a press conference and even burned the Speaker’s effigy. It is about time the Opposition leaders had a rethink,” Mr. Shamseer opined before adjourning the House indefinitely.
