Kerala Assembly Turmoil: Opposition Boycotts Over Speaker Bias Allegations

The Congress-led UDF boycotted the Kerala Assembly, protesting against the Speaker's bias in time allocation. Opposition leaders alleged their speaking time was unfairly limited, prompting a walkout. This incident highlighted procedural controversies, including microphone cut-offs and the expunging of contentious remarks.

The Kerala Assembly was plunged into turmoil on Monday as the Congress-led UDF boycotted the proceedings. Accusations flew over what they perceived as the Speaker’s bias in restricting their speaking time during a discussion on grant demands.

Congress MLA A P Anilkumar led the charge, alleging that the opposition’s rights were being curtly curtailed, citing a long-standing precedent of longer speaking times for opposition leaders. During the session, tensions peaked when microphones were switched off as opposition members spoke, leaving issues like the death of former Kannur ADM Naveen Babu inadequately addressed.

The session saw heightened drama when Minister V N Vasavan exceeded his allotted speaking time, leading to protests and a walkout by opposition members. In a further escalation, a word used by Excise Minister M B Rajesh was objected to, leading to a brawl between treasury and opposition benches. The word was eventually expunged from House records.