If you say politics outside you are answerable to house, Satheesan tells speaker; opposition leader pats desk over Rajesh’s clarification 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader V D Satheesan has applauded the new speaker and said let him become the general voice of the house. Even though the opposition has congratulated and has pledged to give him moral support, they have also expressed displeasure over Rajesh’s stand that he will talk politics outside the assembly. In the congratulatory speech, V D Satheesan said that Rajesh’s statement has pained him and he should have avoided it.

“Your statement that you will talk politics outside the assembly has pained me. In our legislative history, nobody heading the assembly has made such a statement before. If you say politics outside, naturally we are bound to give befitting replies. It will lead to protests and skirmishes even inside the assembly. The opposition cannot hide them. That will certainly hinder the smooth functioning of the assembly,” Satheesan said looking at the speaker.

“K Radhakrishnan, who was the speaker of the 12th assembly and the present Devaswom minister had displayed an emulating model on how a speaker should discharge his function,” Satheesan added. Whereas speaker M B Rajesh in his reply speech again reiterated that he will talk politics outside the assembly.

He further said that by politics, he doesn’t mean party politics but the general political conditions in the country. MLAs in the treasury bench agreed with his clarification by patting their desks. The opposition leader also did the same in agreement with the speaker's words.