The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) boycotted the Kerala Assembly proceedings on Thursday, July 29, as the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government rejected their demand for the resignation of the General Education Minister V Sivankutty over a case related to the ruckus inside the House in 2015. The Opposition, during the zero hour, moved a notice for an adjournment motion, pressing for Sivankutty’s resignation as the Supreme Court had dismissed a government plea, seeking withdrawal of a criminal case against LDF MLAs, including Sivankutty, in the case. The apex court ruled that Left MLAs must be prosecuted for destroying Kerala Assembly property.
Moving the notice, Congress legislator PT Thomas said the incident had brought disgrace to the state Assembly. Referring to the involvement of Sivankutty in the 2015 incident, he asked how a minister, who had destroyed public property, would be able to protect the life and property of people. However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the Opposition’s demand for Education Minister Sivankutty’s resignation. Protesting against the Chief Minister's reply, the Opposition walked out of the House and announced a boycott of Thursday's House proceedings.
After boycotting the Assembly, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan, said, “The government went to the Supreme Court spending lakhs of taxpayers money, in a case for destroying public properties. We are protesting this government move and boycotted the Assembly without hindering the Assembly’s proceedings.” Citing visuals of the 2015 Assembly ruckus aired by the media, Satheesan criticised Education Minister V Sivankutty, asking how he could be a model for students.
The decision of the Supreme Court on the ruckus in the Kerala Assembly in 2015 has come as a jolt to the two-month-old second Pinarayi Vijayan-led government in the state. In March 2015, the Left front, which was in opposition at the time, had created a ruckus in the Assembly protesting against then Finance Minister late KM Mani, who was facing allegations in the bar bribery case. During the ruckus, the Left members allegedly flung the Assembly Speaker’s chair and vandalised electronic equipment.
Dismissing the LDF government’s plea on July 28, the apex court said that allowing the prosecution to be withdrawn would amount to interference in the normal course of justice for illegitimate reasons.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Students Union (KSU), student wing of Congress and right-win students’ body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), which held a protest march towards the Kerala Secretariat on Thursday, turned violent. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters. Many were forcefully moved away from the spot.