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The Kerala assembly was today adjourned sine die following disruptions by the opposition. Amidst pandemonium, the house quickly passed important bills like the Finance Bill and the Appropriation Bill in just 10 minutes.
The budget session which began on March 9 was originally scheduled to end on April 6.
When the budget session re-started on Monday, LDF-led opposition disrupted the proceedings demanding ouster of Finance Minister K M Mani and action against United Democratic Front (UDF) MLAs for misbehaving with women MLAs of the LDF.
opposition members took out a procession to the house demanding withdrawal of the suspension of five of its members facing action for ransacking the speaker's podium on March 13, the day of budget presentation.
Though LDF demanded action against UDF MLAs who allegedly attacked their woman MLAs during the melee on budget day, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy rejected the charges.
Speaker N Sakthan sought cooperation of the opposition for the smooth functioning of the house, but the LDF continued their protest which prompted him to suspend all other scheduled business, including question hour.
As soon as the house began, opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said the action against LDF MLAs was "unilateral" and also sought action against UDF members who allegedly misbehaved with the woman legislators.
Categorically rejecting the LDF charges, Chandy said examination of the video footage of March 13 incidents clearly showed that UDF MLAs had not misbehaved with any woman MLA of the opposition benches.
Justifying the action against five LDF MLAs, Chandy said the government had only acted very leniently as the whole world had seen what actually had happened.
As LDF members continued their protest by moving into the well of the house with placards demanding Mani's resignation, the FM hurriedly moved both the Bills and the house passed it.
The Speaker had earlier called a meeting of floor leaders of the ruling and opposition fronts to work out a solution to end the stalemate in the house after it witnessed unprecedented violence on March 13, which led to suspension of five MLAs- V Sivankutty, K T Jaleel,E P Jayarajan,K Kunjahmmed and K Ajith.
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But the meeting failed to arrive at a consensus.
Though the suspended MLAs came to the assembly Complex, they did not enter the Hall but staged a sit-in at the main entrance.
Later talking to reporters at the assembly media room, Chandy termed the early adjournment of the house "unfortunate" and blamed the LDF for their "stubborn" stand.
Agitation will continue
Meanwhile, Achuthanandan and other leaders of Left Front said that LDF would continue its strong agitation against K.M. Mani outside the house till Mani resigns from the post.
The women MLAs also lodged complaints with the Police against the harassment they faced on the budget day. They also planned to meet the Governor and explain their bitter experiences.
