Is the Sabarimala Gold Case Creating Chaos in the Kerala Assembly?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Political unrest in Kerala Assembly due to opposition protests.
- Allegations against ministers for unparliamentary behavior.
- Opposition demands accountability from the ruling government.
- Continued protests planned across the state.
- Upcoming march on October 18 to raise awareness about temple thefts.
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 9 (NationPress) The Leader of Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan on Thursday criticized the ministers and ruling LDF MLAs for making unparliamentary remarks and intentionally disrupting the operations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
After exiting the Assembly, Satheesan spoke to the media outside its gates, stating that the Speaker permitted ministers and MLAs to make offensive comments while a significant number of watch-and-ward personnel were deployed to control opposition members during a peaceful protest.
“The opposition persisted in its protests, demanding the resignation of Minister Vasavan and the dismissal of Devaswom Board members. Watch-and-ward personnel obstructed M. Vincent from participating freely, resulting in injuries to Saneesh Kumar Joseph. The Speaker attempted to proceed with the session despite the excessive security presence and the unparliamentary behavior exhibited by ministers and MLAs,” Satheesan stated.
He further mentioned that CPI(M) legislator P.P. Chitharanjan made derogatory remarks towards individuals with disabilities, while Minister Ganesh Kumar targeted M. Vincent, who is the president of the KSRTC INTUC workers’ union.
“The Speaker allowed all of this to occur. Ministers Rajesh and Rajeev continuously belittled the opposition. This is anti-democratic,” he asserted.
Satheesan went on to say, “Should I enter political exile? The real issue isn't just that the Dwarapalaka idol of Lord Ayyappa was cut and sold; it's that we brought it to light. If the court hadn't intervened, even the gold idol might have been taken. This year, the current minister, Vasavan, and Devaswom Board officials invited ‘sponsor’ Unnikrishnan Potti again to remove temple items. Now, only Ayyappa’s gold idol remains,” Satheesan added.
With the Assembly session likely to be adjourned sine die on Thursday, the opposition has committed to continuing its protests outside the Assembly, with numerous protest marches planned across the state.
On October 18, a march from Chengannur to Ayyappa’s birthplace is also scheduled to raise awareness about the temple thefts and demand accountability from the Vijayan-led Left government.