Thiruvananthapuram: CPI-M led LDF opposition members in Kerala continued their protest in the Assembly on Monday over solar scam issue leading to early adjournment of the House for the day.
Trouble started during the Zero Hour when a notice for an adjournment motion, moved by the opposition alleging that government was threatening the Solar Judicial Commission probing the scam, was disallowed by Speaker N Sakthan.
Taking objection to the Speaker's ruling that the issue could be taken as first submission as the same was discussed in the House several times, opposition members stood up and raised slogans. Some of the LDF members including V Sivankutty, T V Rajesh, James Mathew, Babu M Pallissery, K K Lathika, all CPI-M and V S Sunil Kumar (CPI) even climbed Speaker's podium to protest alleging the Speaker had failed to protect the rights of opposition.
When ruckus continued, the Speaker adjourned the House after rushing through other scheduled business for the day. Later, Opposition members led by CPI-M veteran V S Achuthanandan held a dharna in front of Speaker's office to protest against the decision.
The solar case relates to duping of several persons by the two prime accused Saritha S Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan after promising to install solar power panels for them. While Nair was granted bail after being behind bars for some nine months, Radhakrishnan is still in jail.
After the scam broke out, the opposition had demanded resignation of Chandy as the names of two of his personal staff had come up during the probe. Meanwhile, talking to reporters Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala rejected opposition charge that attempt was on to threaten the Solar Judicial Commission and he criticised its functioning.
Chennithala justified the decision of the state DGP to provide tight security to Radhakrishnan, while he was taken to Coimbatore to recover the purported video clippings allegedly showing some state politicians 'engaging' in wrong situation with Nair.
More police personnel were deployed as part of security as there were reports that Radhakrishnan, a life convict for murdering his wife and accused in about 60 cases, would try to slip away, Chennithala said, adding "if anything like that had happened, state police would have been blamed for that".
"It was the duty of state police to ensure proper security if an accused is taken to another state," he said.
Government has no intention to threaten or infringe into the autonomous functioning of the Commission, he said. The Home Minister also flayed the opposition's stand of questioning the ruling of the Speaker. He also termed as "very unfortunate" the attempt of the opposition to tarnish the image of Chandy based on statements "of a criminal" like Radhakrishnan.
"Kerala society is watching all these developments," Chennithala said referring to high drama witnessed by the state on December 10 night when police team and Radhakrishnan went to Coimbatore and failed to recover the purported video.
Lashing out at the government, Achuthanandan alleged that the opposition tried to take up the bribe issue in Solar and Bar scams and government was not ready to hear their voice.
Talking to reporters, Achuthanandan also alleged that police failed the attempt of the commission to recover the video clippings. On the Speaker's refusal to admit notice for a debate, he said, "Speaker N Sakathan is conducting the House as a Congress secretary."
