INSIDE KERALA ASSEMBLY

UDF boycotts Assembly citing government's silence on revenue official's death

On Tuesday, the last day of the 12th Assembly session, the Opposition UDF boycotted proceedings in protest against what it termed the government's reluctance to make a statement on the death of Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Naveen Babu K in Kannur.

Opposition Leader V D Satheesan walked out with the UDF members though Finance Minister K N Balagopal, who was speaking at the time, repeatedly said that he would articulate the government's stand on the issue during his speech. The occasion was the discussion on an adjournment motion moved by the UDF on Kerala's fiscal crisis. It was the Opposition Leader who mentioned the ADM's suicide during his speech.

"The district panchayat president (P P Divya) came to a send-off function she was not even invited and insulted the ADM," Satheesan said. "She took the mike without the Collector's consent and said the ADM was corrupt. He has taken his life after being subjected to the worst form of indignity," he said. Satheesan reminded the LDF benches that Naveen Babu was a CPM follower.

The Opposition Leader then wanted the district panchayat president arrested. "Who does she think she is? What right had she to make such remarks? A case should be registered against her. She should be arrested," Satheesan said.

Later, when the finance minister was nearly half an hour into his reply, Congress's Peravur MLA threw the ADM's suicide right into the middle of the debate. "What we heard today morning was shocking," Sunny Joseph said, interrupting the finance minister.

Speaker A N Shamseer swatted aside what he clearly considered interference and asked the minister to resume his speech. "Shall I continue," the minister asked the Speaker. "This (ADM suicide) is a separate issue that we can take up later if the Speaker allows," the minister said and continued speaking.

When Opposition shouts swelled, the minister said: "There is no point in preventing me from listing Kerala's achievements. Let's first hear about Kerala and the other issues can be taken up later." Balagopal then went on about Kerala's top rank in computer skills, forcing the Opposition Leader to break in.

"The whole of Kerala is in shock and I had raised the issue here in the House. But the minister is not ready to reply. He has to reply," Satheesan said. To this, the minister said: "I have noted what the Opposition Leader had said. I will definitely talk about it in my speech."

By then, the UDF members trooped to the 'well' of the House, raising slogans. Law minister P Rajeev said that it was highly condemnable that the Opposition was playing such tactics when their attempts to ridicule the government's fiscal management were exposed. All this while the finance minister kept insisting that he would speak on the issue.

The Speaker too asked the Opposition Leader to acknowledge the minister's words and restrain his MLAs. "Please put the floor in order. The minister has said he would address the issue in his speech and still why are you creating trouble," the Speaker said.

Satheesan then abruptly declared that the UDF was boycotting the day's proceedings, and led the UDF members out. The minister then resumed his speech. After this, it was Revenue Minister K Rajan who briefed the House of the government's stand on the ADM incident.

Rajan called the death "highly unfortunate". "It is a trustworthy and dependable officer who had left us," the Revenue Minister said. "The Kannur district collector has been asked to urgently furnish a report," the minister said.