THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Assembly was disrupted for several minutes on Monday after the opposition raised a protest demanding action against the CI who had beaten up the Youth Congress workers who staged a strike in Kalamassery and assaulted MLA Shafi Parambil and women leader Miva Jolly. The opposition came in front of the Speaker's well and raised banners and placards and shouted slogans after the Chief Minister refused to take action against the CI.

The House proceedings were disrupted as the members of the ruling front started shouting against the opposition. Although Speaker AN Shamseer tried to pacify the members by stopping the House proceedings, the members of both fronts continued shouting. Following this, the Assembly was adjourned for the day after leaving the Panchayat Raj and Municipal Amendment Bills to the subject committee, and passing the Appropriation Bill without discussion.

It was Shafi Parambil who gave the notice for the adjournment motion alleging that the Youth Congress leaders, including himself, were brutally attacked by the police following the protest march by the Youth Congress in Ernakulam against the increase in taxes. Shafi said that the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala is the Malayalam translation of the Narendra Modi regime at the Centre.

In his walkout speech, Satheesan questioned the need for preventive detention of YC workers while they were sleeping in their homes and the huge police presence along the CM’s travel route if there were only one or two protestors from the youth wing of the Congress as contended by the CM.

“If there were only one or two YC workers, what was the need for preventive detention? Why such a huge police presence? Why did CM hide behind the police? “Such tactics will not deter us from protesting. If we want to show black flags, we will. This is not Stalin’s Russia,” Satheesan said.

However, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan replied that there is no popular support for the protest being staged by UDF and BJP in Kerala.

"People know the reasons that led to the imposition of cess on petroleum products. One or two would hide on the side of the road and jump into the middle and show the flag when the Chief Minister's vehicle comes. Is this a protest? They may meet with an accident when they jump into the middle of the road. The police are trying to prevent that. Those who are sending them want them to get injured," the CM said.

Following this, Speaker AN Shamseer denied permission to move the adjournment motion.