A court in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday rejected the discharge petitions of Kerala education minister V Sivankutty and five other left front leaders in connection with bedlam in the state Assembly in 2015.
The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front demanded the minister's resignation in view of the fresh development.
Apart from Sivankutty, former ministers E P Jayarajan and K T Jaleel, former MLAs K Kunjahmed Master, C K Sadasivan and K Ajith are the others to face trial in the case under the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. While Ajith is a CPI leader, all others belong to the CPM.
The case pertained to a violent protest in the state Assembly on March 13, 2015. The LDF, which was the then opposition party, staged the protest to prevent then Finance Minister K M Mani in the Oommen Chandy government from presenting the state budget as he faced allegations of taking a bribe from bar owners for diluting the state's excise police.
The Supreme Court in July dismissed a petition filed by the left-front government in Kerala seeking a nod to withdraw the case. Recently the accused also maintained that the video footage of the bedlam in the house was manipulated.
The accused climbed the speaker's dais and damaged the chair and electronic systems causing damage to properties worth Rs 2.2 lakh.
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