The opposition on Tuesday walked out of the assembly following the suicide of a 48-year-old NRI businessman who was reportedly refused a licence to open his auditorium. 

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that the state government abetted the suicide of the businessman, with the CPI(M) controlled Anthoor Panchayat denying him the permission to open his auditorium in Bekkalam which he had opened in his son’s name.

The deceased, identified as Sajan Parayil, had been working in Nigeria for two decades before he moved back to Kerala to do business. Accusing the government of not being investor friendly, the opposition argued that despite municipal authorities having found no violations in the construction of the auditorium, the chairperson repeatedly refused to give licence to Sajan. 

Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sunny Joseph who moved the adjournment motion, alleged that the turf war between the chairperson of the Anthoor Municipality and Kannur CPI(M) leader P Jayarajan was the reason for Sajan’s suicide.

He added that though Sajan had sought help from Jayarajan to kickstart the project, the chairperson had said that his ‘contact in high places will not work here”.

The opposition even added that Sajan’s family blamed local CPI(M) leaders for his death. 

The opposition was further enraged by the statement of AC Moideen, Minister for Local Self Government, who said that Parayil was depressed and this was the reason for his suicide. 

Moideen’s promise to order an inquiry by the chief town planner, Vigilance, into the matter did not placate the opposition.