‘Speaker is an insult to the position’; Opposition boycotts Legislative Assembly

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Legislative Assembly witnessed a protest and subsequent boycott by the opposition after 45 starred questions posed by them were changed to unstarred ones during the question session. Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan sharply criticized this move, stating that questions of both state and national importance had been sidelined, effectively curbing the opposition's right to seek answers.

In response, Speaker AN Shamseer defended the decision, stating that no procedural violation had occurred. He clarified that, according to the House rules, the Speaker has the discretionary power to change the nature of the questions and is not obligated to provide reasons. He also dismissed the opposition's concerns, calling them "rumours."

Despite this explanation, the opposition persisted with its protest. VD Satheesan specifically raised the issue of whether ADGP MR Ajithkumar, responsible for law and order, had met with RSS leaders and questioned why this was not considered a matter of state interest. The Speaker, however, did not address the query, proceeding instead with the question-and-answer session.

During the session, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan addressed queries regarding the utilization of relief funds, emphasizing that clear rules and conditions govern the use of such funds, ensuring transparency. He added that the government had no intention of withholding any answers from the opposition but noted that the opposition's ongoing protest was unwarranted.

The Chief Minister also urged the opposition to reflect on whether their protest against the Speaker was justified. The Speaker, meanwhile, asserted that opposition members would only be allowed to speak if they were seated in their designated places. In a heated exchange, he asked opposition members to identify their leader, which VD Satheesan condemned as inappropriate for someone in the Speaker's position. Satheesan further accused the Speaker of immaturity and declared that the opposition would boycott the remainder of the question-and-answer session, calling the Speaker an "insult" to the position.