Sabarimala: Kerala Assembly adjourned as Oppn protests

The Congress-led opposition UDF disrupted proceedings in the Kerala Assembly on Friday, demanding discussion on the Sabarimala temple issue, leading to an early adjournment of the House.

UDF MLAs entered the House carrying black banners and sought withdrawal of police restrictions at Sabarimala. Today's session, which began at 9 AM lasted only 18 minutes after Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan decided to adjourn proceedings due to Opposition protest. The Speaker told protesters that the matter was already taken up by the House earlier and the Chief Minister had given a reply.

The leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala had Thursday informed the House that three of his party MLAs were on a sit-in protest inside the Assembly complex over the Sabarimala issue and his party was ready for a compromise talk inside the Speaker's chamber. "We had yesterday informed the House that we were ready for a compromise talk with the government inside the Speaker's chamber. However, it seems like the government is not keen on solving the issue," Chennithala told reporters Friday.

Three UDF MLAs - V S Sivakumar of Congress, Parakkal Abdullah of IUML and N Jayaraj of Kerala Congress (M) - are on an indefinite satyagraha outside the Assembly hall since December 3 demanding a withdrawal of prohibitory orders in and around Sabarimala. However, the Kerala High Court had Thursday said police restrictions and prohibitory orders were not affecting devotees.