Opposition stalls Kerala Assembly, accuses speaker of interruption amid SC/ST budget cut protest

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led opposition UDF on Thursday stalled the proceedings of the Kerala Assembly, alleging that the Speaker "interrupted" the speech of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan and the LDF government "reduced" the allocation for SC/ST communities in the state's budget.

Following the uproar, Speaker A N Shamseer adjourned the Assembly after completing the business early by passing various bills.

During an adjournment motion moved by the opposition on the alleged reduction in allocation of funds for SC/ST communities in the state's budget, Satheesan accused the Speaker of 'interrupting' his speech in the Assembly.

However, Speaker A N Shamseer denied the allegation stating that the Leader of the Opposition had been allowed to speak uninterrupted for the first nine minutes. This led to a heated exchange between the Speaker and Satheesan.

When the Speaker intervened, stating that the allotted time was over, Satheesan responded that speaking in the House was his right, not an act of generosity from the Speaker.

Protesting against the intervention opposition members stormed the well of the House, holding placards that read, "The rights of the opposition are not the Speaker’s generosity."

Following the uproar, the Assembly's audio was muted.

Earlier, in a motion seeking adjournment, Congress MLA A P Anilkumar alleged that the state budget had reduced funds and project allocations for SC/ST communities.

He accused the Left government of neglecting backward classes, calling it anti-Dalit and anti-tribal. He also criticised the government for sidelining SC/ST communities even in projects funded through KIIFB.

However, Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes O R Kelu countered that it was incorrect to claim that no initiatives were being taken.

Finance Minister K N Balagopal also dismissed the resolution as misleading, stating that efforts were being made to support Dalit communities and that the government prioritised the welfare of backward classes.

Speaking later, Leader of the Opposition criticised the budget cuts, arguing that they had severely impacted SC/ST communities.

"The allocation for these communities should increase every year, but instead it remains unchanged. An order issued on January 22 confirmed the cuts in project allocations followed by another on January 25 reducing them further," he said.

Satheesan also pointed out that not a single Rupee had been spent from the Rs 140 crore allocated for the SC/ST category under the Life Mission project. He further alleged that students were being humiliated due to their inability to pay hostel fees.

As he continued his speech, Speaker Shamseer intervened and requested him to shorten it. This angered Satheesan and he questioned on why the Speaker was interrupting him. In response, the Speaker said he had allowed Satheesan to speak for nine minutes without interruption.

Tensions escalated as opposition members stormed the well of the House in protest. The Speaker urged them to return to their seats, but they refused. Amid the uproar, all microphones were muted, and the Assembly's live broadcast only displayed the Speaker.

Despite the opposition's continued protest, the Speaker proceeded with the scheduled legislative business, asking members to use headsets to follow the proceedings. He then expedited the session, passing various money bills before adjourning the House for the day.

The Assembly will again meet from March 3.