Ruckus in Kerala assembly leaves 4 UDF MLAs, 7 security personnel injured

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Four opposition MLAs and seven security personnel were injured during a ruckus in the Kerala assembly on Wednesday.
Unruly incidents took place in the assembly when the opposition (UDF) MLAs protested in front of speaker A N Shamseer’s chamber after the speaker refused to admit a notice seeking discussion over the attack on a 16–year–old girlon the outskirts of the state capital.
Four UDF MLAs — Saneesh Kumar Joseph, AKM Ashraff, K K Rema and T V Ebrahim — sustained injuries and were admitted to a hospital.
In addition, seven watch and ward officials reported being attacked by the UDF MLAs and sustained injuries.
After the speaker refused to admit the notice seeking leave for adjournment motion, the opposition MLAs boycotted the proceedings and laid siege in front of the speaker’s chamber.
The watch and ward of the assembly were asked to remove the protesting MLAs to make way for the speaker to his chamber and the attempt to remove the MLAs forcefully resulted in a major commotion between the MLAs and the watch and ward officials.
The ruling front MLAs, some of the ministers and the staff members of the ruling front MLAs and the ministers also joined the watch and ward officials in defending the speaker, which further led to worsening the situation.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan then unleashed a scathing attack on the chief minister and said that the attempt was on to turn the opposition and the speaker at loggerheads and the chief minister is turning the whole thing into a family affair.
He alleged that despite several publicity stunts, PWD and tourism minister P A Muhammed Riyas (who is also the chief minister’s son-in-law) is unable to gain the popularity that speaker A N Shamseer is gaining, which is why the attempt is on from the chief minister to make the speaker a mockery.
He questioned the authority of Muhammed Riyas, who obtained a ministerial position through the "management quota," to make a comment about the opposition while conducting business in the house.
Riyas had earlier said in the assembly that the opposition has a spine made out of a banana trunk when he rose to lay the papers relating to his department before the house.
The opposition leader demanded that action should be taken against ruling front MLAs K M Sachin Dev and H Salam and some of the watch and ward officials, who had physically attacked the protesting opposition MLAs.