CPM leader writes to CM to withdraw Assembly ruckus cases

Former CPM MLA V Sivankutty has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking a withdrawal of cases against him and five others for creating ruckus during the state budget presentation in the Kerala Assembly on March 13, 2015.

The legislators, all belonging to the then CPM-led opposition Left Democratic Front, had tried to prevent scandal-hit former finance minister K M Mani from presenting the budget, leading to scuffles and destruction of property in the House.

Those named in the charge sheet filed in the Thiruvananthapuram judicial magistrate court included CPM's E P Jayarajan and Left independent K T Jaleel (Minister for Local Self-Governments). The four others are Sivankutty, K Kunjahamed and C K Sadasivan of the CPM and K Ajith of the CPI. Sivankutty has written to the Chief Minister ahead of the budget session scheduled to begin from Monday. "I have written to the Chief Minister and the Speaker seeking a withdrawal of the cases," Sivankutty said on Sunday.

The legislators had prevented the then Speaker N Sakthan from reaching his dais and had destroyed a computer before upturning the Speaker's chair. Their scuffles with MLAs of the ruling Congress-led front and the watch-and-ward staff had also turned ugly. The Crime Branch, in an FIR, had stated that the scuffles led to damage of public property worth Rs 2 lakh.

Amid reports that Sivankutty's request has been handed over to the Law Department for its inputs, the opposition Congress hit out at the move to withdraw the cases. "It's a mockery of the House and democracy. If this move materialises, it will encourage such vandalism in the future. We will fight it legally," leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said.