THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Minutes after the One day Assembly session began, the Opposition lambasted the government. Soon after the condolence motion was passed for the late Assembly members, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala stood up, demanding discussion on No confidence motion.

“It was on August 13 that the Cabinet decided for one-day Assembly session and the notification in this regard came out on August 14. The Assembly members came to know about the Assembly session just ten before the date of the session.

Soon after this M Ummer MLA gave notice, demanding removal of the Speaker. The Assembly should discuss the notice against the Speaker as serious allegations linking him to Gold smuggling case accused Swapna Suresh had emerged. The allegations have tainted the image and dignity of the Assembly. As there is notice against the Speaker, he should leave the Speaker’s chair and occupy another seat,” Chennithala said.

Meanwhile, Speaker Sreeramakrishnan appeared cool, saying that he was only happy for holding discussions on allegations against hm. “While protecting your freedom of expression, I’m also obliged to protect the Constitutional responsibility,” the Speaker answered.

But the Opposition didn’t express their agreement with the Speaker’s opinion. After this, Minister A K Balan made his intervention and said the chief minister decided on the one-day assembly session in consultation with the Opposition leader.

Opposition agreed that the chief minister had talked to him. “But I had made demand for discussion of motion against the Speaker and I had sent a ommunique in this regard to the Chief minister’s office..” he said.

The Speaker said that he had no right to alter Constitutional rules. A K Balan opined that there was no need to include allegations against the Speaker in the Assembly documents.

But the Speaker’s response was that he was helpless. “What is important is constitution and there was no obstruction to criticisms raised in the Assembly .”