The Kerala assembly on Thursday morning witnessed dramatic scenes over an act of moral policing by Shiv Sena at Kochi’s Marine Drive.

Pandemonium broke out in the assembly and there was a moment when everyone expected clashes to break out as the Chief Minister asked if Shiv Sena had been hired by the opposition. 

It started with the opposition criticicing the police for being inactive while the Shiv Sena activists attacked young couples at Marine Drive on Wednesday. 

Congress MLA Hibi Eden asked for an adjournment motion in protest against the moral policing. 

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan then admitted that there were lapses from the part of the police while handling the situation. He also said that stern action will be taken against the accused. 

He made an elaborate statement about various moral policing incidents in the state over the past few weeks. Following the Chief Minister’s response, the Speaker denied permission to move the adjournment motion. 

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala then accused that moral policing goons had overturned a water tanker carrying water to Guruvayur temple. 

The water was to be used for preparing lunch and prasadam for a festival at the temple. Guruvayoor MLA Abdul Khader intervened and said that the issue had been on for some time and accused that some Congress and League workers were behind it. Ramesh Chennithala immediately asked what ‘Khader had to do with Guruvayur temple’. 

It was then that the Chief Minister asked if Shiv Sena members who had gone to Marine Drive had been hired by the opposition. This provoked the opposition who started protests immediately. Many of them went near the Speaker’s chair, while others protested near the CM. Members of the ruling front too then entered the well. 

At one point, it seemed like clashes would break out. The Speaker was forced to come down and request for calm. With the MLAs showing no signs of calming down, the Speaker adjourned the assembly.