MLA gets flak for masks, gloves in Kerala Assembly

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: UDF MLA Parakkal Abdullah  turned up in  the Assembly on Monday wearing a mask and gloves to express his concern over the Nipah virus infection. However,  this  triggered protests from the treasury bench. It was while Health Minister K.K. Shylaja was replying to the questions on the fever that Mr. Abdullah, who represents Kuttiyadi constituency in Kozhikode, came to the House wearing his protective gear.

When Speaker P.  Sreeramakrishnan noticed this and enquired about the reason, he said that he wanted to bring to the notice of the House the concerns of the people of Kozhikode. The IUML MLA also told Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala that  all people in Kozhikode were  now wearing masks and gloves. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the health minister flayed the MLA’s action. While Mr Vijayan  said that the government had initiated steps to contain the spread of Nipah, the health minister said that if the MLA felt that he was infected by Nipah,  he should not have come to the Assembly.