Kerala UDF MLAs protest outside Speaker's office, forcibly lifted to break up protest | WATCH
Ruckus erupted outside the Kerala Assembly today as Opposition MLAs of the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), staged a protest outside the Speaker’s office and had to be forcibly lifted off the ground by security guards.
Visuals of the incident have surfaced on social media showing the guards forcibly lifting the MLAs who are laying on the ground and refusing to budge outside Speaker AN Shamsheer’s office. The security men finally manage to forcibly lift the MLAs off the ground and out of the building.
Watch the video here:
Speaking to the media, V D Satheesan—Leader of Opposition in the Assembly said four opposition lawmakers— Rema, A K M Ashraf, T V Ibrahim and Saneesh Kumar—were allegedly injured in the incident.
Satheesan lashed out at the Kerala government, claiming it was continuously trampling the democratic rights of the Opposition in the House. “We tried to present the issue of the recent brutal assault faced by a minor girl as an adjournment motion but its notice was denied by the Speaker without any valid reason.”
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The Opposition leader alleged that former Kerala home minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan was pushed while MLA KK Rema’s hand was twisted and dragged on the floor by four-five women marshals.
Satheesan accused Speaker AN Shamsheer of functioning in a biased manner under pressure from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, adding that CM Vijayan was “terrified of questions” and wants to wind up ongoing Assembly session as fast he can.
The Opposition legislators had staged a protest outside the Speaker’s office after their adjournment motion to discuss the safety of women was turned down. On Tuesday, another adjournment motion to discuss police action against Congress councillors protesting over the Kochi dumpyard fire was also rejected.
Commotion erupted in the house as soon as the Speaker announced that the adjournment motion cannot be taken up as UDF legislators started sloganeering and waving banners against the Vijayan-led government. The lawmakers then walked out of the House and marched to the Speaker’s office where they were blocked by the Watch and Ward staff, who manage security in the state legislature and report to the Speaker.
