Kerala Assembly Witnesses Opposition Boycott Over Parole Grant Controversy
The Congress-led opposition in Kerala staged a dramatic boycott of the state assembly session on Monday, plunging the legislative proceedings into chaos after the speaker declined to allow an adjournment motion concerning the grant of parole to certain Communist Party of India (Marxist) workers.
Notice Rejection Sparks Immediate Opposition Backlash
The controversy erupted when Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) legislator K K Rema formally moved a notice seeking an urgent discussion on the alleged parole granted to CPM workers who had been acquitted in previous cases. The notice specifically raised concerns about potential violations of established procedures and rules governing parole approvals.
Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer, however, determined that the matter did not meet the threshold for an adjournment motion and instead suggested that the opposition raise it as a regular submission during appropriate proceedings. This decision triggered immediate objections from opposition members, who began raising slogans against both the speaker and the ruling government.
Opposition Leader Accuses Speaker of Protecting Government
Opposition Leader V D Satheesan launched a scathing attack on the speaker's decision, alleging that the presiding officer was deliberately shielding the government from uncomfortable questions regarding parole procedures. "The speaker is clearly siding with the government and the CPM by misinterpreting procedural rules," Satheesan asserted during the heated exchanges.
The opposition leader demanded specific grounds for the notice rejection and cited the case of V K Nishad, who had been sentenced to twenty years imprisonment for involvement in a bomb attack targeting police personnel. According to opposition claims, Nishad had allegedly received parole within just one month of the court verdict, raising serious questions about parole implementation standards.
Protests Escalate as Opposition Enters Assembly Well
As the speaker proceeded with scheduled House business despite opposition objections, the situation escalated dramatically. Opposition members entered the well of the assembly chamber, brandishing placards and intensifying their slogan-shouting against what they termed as "undemocratic suppression" of legitimate discussion.
Speaker Shamseeb objected strongly to the display of placards near the chair, accusing the opposition of orchestrating a pre-planned protest designed to disrupt legislative proceedings. This accusation further inflamed tensions, with ruling front members led by Minister V Sivankutty engaging in heated verbal exchanges with opposition legislators throughout the disruption.
Complete Boycott and Parallel Protest Outside Assembly
With proceedings continuing amid the ongoing protests, United Democratic Front (UDF) members made the decisive move to boycott the entire day's assembly session. "The opposition gave notice for an urgent motion demanding discussion on the serious issue of granting parole for hundreds of days to hardened criminals in jail, violating all established laws," Satheesan explained following the boycott decision.
The opposition leader further criticized what he described as systematic avoidance of discussions on topics that potentially put the ruling CPM on the defensive, including the recent attack on Congress workers who had marched to a legislator's office in Payyannur.
Meanwhile, in a parallel protest unfolding outside the assembly complex, two UDF legislators continued their dharna demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan in connection with the ongoing Sabarimala gold heist investigation. This dual protest strategy highlighted the opposition's multipronged approach to challenging the ruling front on various fronts simultaneously.
The day's events underscored the deepening political rift in Kerala's legislative arena, with procedural disagreements escalating into full-scale boycotts and raising fundamental questions about parliamentary discussion norms and the implementation of correctional policies in the state.
