Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan has ruled out action against UDF MLAs who had stood on the way of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as he walked into the Assembly on January 29 to deliver the customary Policy Address. The speaker, however, termed the Opposition protest “unfortunate”.
“I am not thinking of taking any action,” the speaker told reporters on Thursday. “The kind of protest that has to be adopted depends on each one's convictions. I don't want to sit in judgment of that. However, what happened was unfortunate,” the speaker said.
He said that he had asked the Watch and Ward staff only to create way for the governor. “I had told them to create way trying as much as they can to avoid the use of force,” the speaker said. Nonetheless, he said a probe would be conducted on the complaint that force was used to move the opposition legislators out of the way.
The speaker also said the disagreement registered by the governor would not find its way to the official records. If the speaker had gone by precedent, it would not have been an easy decision to make. Former governor P Sathasivam's admonition of the opposition, before he began the Policy Address, is now part of official records. Then, the UDF was in power. The protest was not against the governor but against the Oommen Chandy government.
Judge's prophecy
Just when Sathasivam began his speech, the then opposition leader V S Achuthanandan rose to his feet and told the Governor not to read the policy address of a government neck-deep in corruption. The CPM State secretary and Opposition deputy leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan was also seen gesticulating and raising his voice.
Sathasivam looked up from his speech and told Achuthanandan. “You have to allow me to do my constitutional duties, please. Either you sit quiet or you can go out. I am noting all your objections. The nation is also watching. Beyond this nobody can tolerate. I know you are not protesting against me. I also know you have a right to protest but I am constitutionally bound to deliver the address. Kindly read the Constitution.”
Then he turned his attention to Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and the words he told him was prophetic. “Mr Balakrishnan, you are all well aware. This may happen to you after sometime. So better you show your protest by either sitting quiet or leave the House. I have full energy to deliver the full speech slowly.” The Opposition quietly left the Assembly, and Sathasivam continued.
Sathasivam vs Pinarayi
P Sathasivam, however, told Onmanorama that he was not aware if his 'school teacherly'-like rebuke is part of Assembly records. “It needn't be,” he said.
Sathasivam but expressed surprise at the turn of events in the Assembly on January 29. “It is unfortunate,” Sathasivam said. “The governor's address is meant to inform the public about government policies. It is the statement of the ruling party. It is also how an Assembly session begins. If the governor is unable to read out the address, there could be a break down of the Constitution,” Sathasivam said.
The former governor said even previous government had used strong words against the Centre. “Except on one occasion, during my second last address, these were modified or deleted suitably at my request,” Sathasivam said.
This year, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected all the objections raised by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and said he wanted the Policy Address delivered without a single word taken out or modified.
Sathasivam's subtle rebellion
In fact, Pinarayi Vijayan had not obliged Sathasivam, too, once. It was the 2018 address.
“There was a sentence that to me had used unnecessarily strong language. I wondered why the state government would use such a phrase and I contacted the chief minister's office. Unfortunately, the chief minister was in Kolkata for a party meeting. He informed me that he would arrive at the state only by around midnight on the day before the address. This left us with no time to discuss and sort out things. What I did was I just omitted those parts that I found objectionable,” Sathasivam said.
Here is the sentence Sathasivam found problematic. “There has not been any instance of communal riot in our state despite the plotting by certain communal outfits.” Sathasivam read only half way. “There has not been any instance of communal riot in our state.” He edited out the rest.
Chennithala shown his place
Then, the Pinarayi Vijayan government did not consider this a major slight. As on the same day the governor had asked opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala to behave.
Just when Sathasivam was about to begin his speech, Chennithala stood up and raised his voice. “I will hear you at length later,” the governor said. Chennithala but went on, said hundreds of lives were lost to Ockhi, and that hundreds were still missing, and that the government had failed on all fronts. The governor said “all right”, as if shrugging away a problematic participant at a pubic function, and began his speech.
Chennithala was effectively silenced. Pinarayi had a smile on his face.