Ruckus in Assembly

Thursday, June 30, 2011: Kerala Assembly on Thursday witnessed a ruckus between opposition and ruling members, who came to near blows over yesterday’s police lathichage on pro-Left organisations on the self-financing colleges issue.
Speaker G Karthikeyan called the watch-and-ward to prevent a commotion after three legislators rushed to the chair of the Chief Minister, and adjourned the House after the situation got out of control.
The trouble started after opposition Deputy Leader in the House Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, through an adjournment motion, raised the issue of “brutal” lathicharge on student activists who were protesting against “commercialisation of education” in the capital yesterday.
He said even R Rajesh, MLA representing Mavelikkara, came under attack by the police.

Replying to the motion, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said there was no justification in the student struggle as there was absolutely nothing different between the policies of the previous LDF government and UDF government on self-financing issue.
He also denied the charge that Rajesh was injured in the police action. “A cover was made by the police under Deputy Commissioner of police Thomas Jolly Cherian to protect him,” he said.
On hearing this, CPI-M member Babu M Palissery rushed to the chair of the Chief Minister with a blood-stained cloth. Rajesh also followed him and showed the injury on his hand.
Ruling party members also got up and moved to the front benches. As both sides appeared to reach to near blows, the Speaker adjourned the House temporarily.