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Stormy scenes in Kerala Assembly as Oppn stages walkout, raises ‘govt-guv’ nexus slogans
The Opposition, led by the Congress, started raising “go back” slogans against governor Arif Mohammad Khan soon after he arrived at the House to address the Budget session of the Assembly.
High drama ensued in the Kerala Assembly on Friday after members of the Opposition staged a walkout from the hall alleging "unholy alliance” between governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Pinarayi Vijayan-led Left Front government. The members then held a protest outside the Assembly hall.
According to agency reports, the Opposition, led by the Congress, started raising “go back” slogans against Khan soon after he arrived at the House to address the Budget session of the Assembly.
Besides sloganeering, Opposition MLAs were seen showing banners and a series of placards that read “government-governor unholy nexus”. The legislators then staged a protest sit-in at the portal of the House after boycotting the proceedings.
Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan demanded a discussion on the reappointment of Kannur University vice chancellor Gopinath Ravindran and the governor's assent to a controversial ordinance regarding amendment of the Kerala Lokayukta Act, 1999.
A visibly upset Khan later told Satheesan, "You are a responsible person and a leader of the Opposition. You will have time to discuss these issues."
Ignoring the intense sloganeering, Khan then started reading the policy document.
Following this, the Opposition leaders staged a walkout from the Assembly and continued with the protests outside the House.
A day ago, the Assembly had witnessed similar stormy scenes after Khan refused to sign the policy document of the CPI(M)-led government, expressing strong displeasure over a letter written by it against the appointment of a senior journalist-turned politician in a key post in the Raj Bhavan. T
The issue was resolved after the government, yielding to the governor's pressure, replaced KR Jyothilal as the principal secretary of the general administration department (GAD) with a senior civil servant. Jyothilal who had written the letter on behalf of the government to the Raj Bhavan a few days ago citing the violation of prevailing conventions in the appointment of former BJP leader Hari S Kartha as additional personal assistant to the governor.
(With inputs from agencies)
