JOIN USCPM, Congress blame each other for Bapu’s photo vandalism in Rahul Gandhi office attack
The Opposition in Kerala State Assembly, Congress-led United Democratic Front, disrupted the Assembly session on Monday protesting the attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s office in Wayanad.
Several opposition MLAs came to the Assembly wearing black shirts and masks to make a stand against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s alleged involvement in the UAE consulate smuggling case, as well as the recent attack on Rahul Gandhi’s Wayanad office.
As Assembly proceedings began, opposition MLAs shouted slogans and raised placards and banners denouncing the attack on Gandhi’s office. Members of the Opposition and Treasury Benches also trooped into the well of the House shouting slogans.
However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accused the Congress of trying to create unrest in the state by their antics. Pinarayi also accused the Congress activists of damaging Mahatma Gandhi's photo at Gandhi's office in Wayanad—an allegation that Opposition leader V D Satheesan denied vehemently.
Speaker of the Assembly M B Rajesh suspended the proceedings initially for about 40 minutes. Yet, the opposition continued to make a fuss, even after the House resumed. The speaker thus rushed through the proceedings and adjourned the House for the day.
Pinarayi later told reporters that the government, and the ruling party CPM, strongly condemned the attack on Gandhi’s office and that 24 Students’ Federation of India workers were already under arrest for their involvement. He also criticised what happened in the House saying that the Opposition deliberately disrupted the House because they were not willing to hear the government's reply to an adjournment motion notice on Rahul Gandhi's office attack.
Pinarayi also said that Mahatma Gandhi’s photo was seen as being intact in some of the footage of the attack by SFI workers on Friday. Congress workers could have damaged the photo later to blame the SFI, he claimed.
Opposition leader denied it and said that SFI workers unleashed a coordinated attack by coming in three batches; it was the last batch that damaged Mahatma Gandhi's picture, Satheesan said, who accused the CPM of spreading video from before the incident to move the blame.
The Chief Minister also denied allegations raised by gold smuggling accused Swapna Suresh against him and his family. He said he had already clarified that Suresh met him as a UAE consulate staff for official purposes only. When asked if he would make a legal move against Suresh, he said he would think over it in due course.