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UDF walkout over attempt to release Chandrasekharan’s killers
K.K. Rema gives notice during Zero Hour for an emergency debate on the matter. Opposition disrupts the Legislative Assembly after Speaker moved on to the next item on the list of business without holding any debate.
The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) disrupted the Kerala Legislative Assembly (KLA) on Tuesday after Speaker A.N. Shamseer denied the Opposition’s notice for an emergency debate on the alleged political conspiracy to grant remission of sentence for lifers serving time for the assassination of the CPI(M) rebel and Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) founder, T.P. Chandrasekharan, at Onchiyam in Kozhikode in 2012.
Chandrasekharan’s wife and RMP legislator from the Vadakara Assembly constituency, K.K. Rema, set the stage for the strained showdown between treasury and Opposition benches during Zero Hour by giving notice for an emergency debate on the government’s “barefaced” attempt to release her husband’s killers, despite the Kerala High Court recently expanding their sentence to two life terms without the scope of parole for 20 years.
No discussion
Mr. Shamseer denied discussing Ms. Rema’s notice by stating that the government had not contemplated such a move.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan attempted to entangle Mr. Shamseer in a back-and-forth by accusing the Chair of committing an egregious breach of parliamentary etiquette by endeavouring to reply for the government.
Mr. Shamseer said he could not allow further discussion on the subject and moved on to the next item on the list of business.
Placards displayed
Angered Opposition legislators trooped to the well of the House and mobbed the Speaker’s dais. Many held accusatory placards blocking the Chair’s view of the Assembly.
Mr Shamseer hurried through the day’s business as the Opposition sloganeering reached a high pitch, drowning out treasury bench voices. He adjourned the House for the day.
Later, speaking to journalists in the Assembly’s media room, Mr. Satheesan accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of shying away from Ms. Rema’s notice.
He said Mr. Vijayan turned tail and ran for political cover in the face of a determined Opposition battling to uphold the rule of law. “The CM flinched from replying to the notice moved by Chandrasekharan’s wife,” he added.
He said CPI(M) feared the assassins would spill the beans on their employers. Mr Satheesan alleged the government arm-twisted the prison department into inserting the names of Chandrasekharan case convicts in the list of lifers eligible for revocation of sentence.
Mr. Satheesan said the prison department gave the convicts favourable conduct certificates to accelerate the abrogation of their sentences. It also dispatched an express letter to the police seeking information about Ms. Rema’s disposition to granting remission of punishment for her husband’s killers.
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