Opposition disrupts Assembly again

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, OCT. 22. The Opposition today paralysed the Assembly proceedings by raising slogans in the well of the House in protest against the suspension of three LDF members on Thursday.

When the session began at 8.30 a.m., the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. V.S. Achuthanandan, demanded that the Speaker, Mr. Vakkom Purushothaman, revoke the suspension of Mr. Raju Abraham, Mr. M.V. Jayarajan and Mr. P.S. Supal. He said the charges levelled against the three were baseless.

The Speaker said that usually such issues are raised after the question hour and called Mr. Johnny Nellore and Mr. Shibu Baby John for raising the questions regarding model police stations. The Opposition members then stood up and shouted slogans and moved to the well of the House. Though the Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, made a vain bid to reply to the questions, his reply was lost in the din. By 8.32 a.m., the Speaker left the chair.

The Opposition members continued to shout slogans demanding withdrawal of the suspension. The payment of Mr. Antony's air fare, the alleged bid to silence the Opposition through disciplinary action, curbs on TV cameras and the ban on press photographers on the Assembly premises were among the issues that figured in the slogans.

Around 9 a.m., the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr. M.M. Hassan, called Mr Achuthanandan, Mr. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Mr. K.P. Rajendran and Mr. A.C. Shanmughadas, for discussions with the Speaker. While the leaders went for talks, the Opposition members continued to shout slogans.

Though the sitting was resumed at 10.20 a.m., the Opposition continued to disrupt the proceedings. The demand for grants for power and cooperation was passed in the melee without cut motions being moved. The House was adjourned for the day by 10.30 a.m.

Govt. for compromise

Our Special Correspondent adds: Mr. Hassan, later talking to reporters, said the Government was ready for a compromise if the suspended MLAs were ready to express regret for their conduct in the House on Thursday. He said the Government would consider moving a resolution to reduce the suspension to two weeks if they expressed regret for their action. The Government was making this offer to facilitate the smooth conduct of the proceedings of the House, he said.

Mr. Hassan said the suspension of MLAs for unruly behaviour was nothing new. Mr. M. V. Raghavan had been suspended from the House from June 30 to July 15, 1987, on the charge that he had tried to assault the then Cooperation Minister, Mr. T.K. Ramakrishnan. The then Government did not show any leniency in the matter.

Mr. Hassan said he had participated in the meeting of LDF leaders convened by the Speaker this morning and communicated this to them. However, the Opposition leaders were adamant, he said.

Mr. Hassan also clarified that he had not stated at his last news conference that the entire issue arose out of the Speaker's decision to deny the mike to the Leader of the Opposition after the adjournment motion on the housing issue was refused leave.

The Speaker had said `not now, not now, after this', because he had already invited Mr. N. Sakthan Nadar (Congress) to speak on his calling attention motion. Mr. Achuthanandan told today's meeting that he had not heard the Speaker saying so, the Minister said.

He said there was no justification for involving the Speaker in the issue because the suspension was effected on a resolution adopted by the House.

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Section  : Southern States
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