Thiruvananthapuram: Noisy scenes were today witnessed in the Kerala Assembly over the Tanur violence with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan blaming it on the “politics of intolerance” and Congress-led UDF staging a walkout over the matter.
As the House erupted into uproar when opposition MLAs rushed to the well of the house and raised slogans against the chair, irked by certain remarks made by the Tanur MLA, the Chief Minister said there should be a ‘lakshman Rekha’.
Replying to the notice for an adjournment motion on the violence, moved by N Shamsudeen (IUML), Vijayan said 31 persons have been arrested so far in connection with the violence between CPI(M)-IUML workers in Tanur in Malappuram district on Sunday last and cases had been registered against 2000 odd persons.
He said the area had been witnessing violence since the 2016 assembly polls as an LDF supported independent candidate, V AbduRahiman, had won from Tanur.
“The Tanur violence is the result of politics of intolerance of some people”, he said.
“Houses and vehicles of both groups have been burnt and destroyed. At least 12 police personnel have been injured, one of them seriously, in stone throwing. About 200 police personnel are camping in the area and a special control room has been opened,” the Chief Minister said.
Shamsudeen said houses and fishing equipment of several fishermen in the area had been destroyed and women and children had to move out of the area.
“The incidents were worse than what was happening in Kashmir”, he said.
He alleged that ruling CPI(M) workers hurled petrol bombs at a IUML worker’s house, which was completely destroyed and alleged that even pregnant women and students had not been spared by police.
AbduRahiman levelled some charges against IUML, which provoked UDF members to rush to the well of the house.They raised slogans, demanding an apology.
On a plea from the Opposition leader in the house, Ramesh Chennithala, Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan expunged the remarks of AbduRahman and said they should have been avoided.
Vijayan attacked the opposition, saying they had challenged the chair, which was a ‘new trend’.
“We all have heard the slogans raised in front of the Speaker. Can MLAs insult the Speaker? There is need for a Lakshman Rekha for everything,” he said.
Reacting to this, Chennithala said the house had witnessed unruly scenes on March 13 last year when CPI(M) led opposition had overturned the Speaker’s chair and vandalised his podium.
There should be a “give respect and take respect policy”, he said before staging a walkout after permission was not granted for a discussion on the matter.
–PTI