Congress Accuses CPM Government In Kerala Of Shielding BJP Leader
Opposition members disrupt Kerala assembly proceedings, demand arrest of BJP leader: Reports
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress-led UDF staged a protest in the Kerala Assembly on Tuesday, accusing the LDF Government of being lenient towards a BJP spokesperson who issued death threats against the opposition leader in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi.
Led by opposition leader V D Satheeshan, the UDF members disrupted the house proceedings after Speaker A N Shamsheer denied permission for an adjournment motion regarding the government's alleged refusal to arrest BJP leader Printu Mahadevan.
Earlier, PCC president and Peravoor MLA Sunny Joseph had submitted a notice for an adjournment motion to discuss the Rahul Gandhi issue, but the Speaker rejected it, deeming the matter neither important nor urgent enough. He suggested that Sunny Joseph could bring it up as the first submission of the day instead.
The UDF MLAs quickly rose to their feet and rushed to the Speaker's podium, staging a protest. Opposition leader V D Satheeshan stepped in, emphasising that the motion's notice was on a grave matter; a BJP leader's threatening remarks that Rahul Gandhi's chest would be pierced with bullets.
Satheeshan strongly objected to the Speaker's comment, calling it an irrelevant and non-serious matter. The Congress accused the CPM of going easy on the BJP leader due to the `unholy nexus'.
The opposition leader pointed out that a case was only registered against the BJP leader on September 28, two days after the remarks were made.
The Speaker responded, stating his respect for Rahul Gandhi but arguing that random statements made during TV debates could not be discussed on the House floor.
The UDF MLAs stepped up their protest, unfurling a banner urging the speaker to remain impartial. Industries Minister P Rajiv criticised the UDF members, stating, "The UDF had the opportunity to raise the issue in the Assembly on September 27 and 28. It wasn't even brought up as a submission, which clearly shows that they are not with Rahul Gandhi."
As the UDF protest persisted, the Speaker wound up the day's proceedings.
The UDF MLAs exited the assembly complex in a procession.
The controversial comments were made by the BJP spokesperson during a TV debate on September 26, which focused on recent Gen Z protests in Nepal.
He claimed such protests would not occur in India because Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies had public support and also remarked that if Rahul Gandhi tried to organise similar protests in India, bullets would pierce his chest.
Satheeshan accused the government of protecting the BJP leader, saying; ``if someone makes a remark against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on social media, the police immediately registers a case, raids their house and arrests them. Yet the BJP leader is being shielded. This is due to the Chief Minister's fear of the BJP. It's a clear example of an unholy alliance between the CPM and the BJP in Kerala," he said.
