Thiruvananthapuram | The Congress-led UDF opposition on Thursday disrupted the Kerala assembly proceedings for the third consecutive day over the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Sabarimala temple and demanding the resignation of state Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan.
Due to the disruption created by the opposition, Speaker A N Shamseer cancelled the question hour and moved on to the other business of the House.
When the Assembly proceedings commenced at 9 am, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly V D Satheesan told the Speaker that the UDF will continue its protest on the issue inside and outside the House.
He said that many of those arrested in the Sabarimala gold loss cases were coming out on statutory bail due to non-filing of a charge sheet by the Special Investigation Team (SIT).
The opposition leader further said that the UDF was apprehensive that once the accused come out, they will destroy all the evidence in the case as the SIT probe is not complete and relevant materials have not been collected.
Satheesan also said that the opposition protest in the House was peaceful and did not attack the watch and ward staff.
Shamseer said that the opposition's conduct on Tuesday of climbing onto the Speaker's dais was "unfortunate" and asserted that some UDF MLAs did attack the watch and ward staff.
He also said that debates and discussions are appropriate in a democracy and "not disruptions".
Following the Speaker's remarks, the opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House holding placards and a banner and shouting slogans against the government on the Sabarimala gold issue.
Amidst the opposition protest, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister M B Rajesh claimed that Satheesan and the UDF were shutting their eyes to the truth that the Kerala High Court has backed and praised the ongoing SIT probe.
He said that the opposition was disrupting the House as it lacked any relevant issues to raise in the Assembly.
The opposition MLAs held up photographs of Potty with the CM and former Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
They also held up a banner carrying images of Potty and Surendran before the Speaker's dais.
In response to the opposition, the ruling front MLAs held up photos of Potty with Sonia Gandhi and UDF convener Adoor Prakash.
The Sabarimala gold loss cases pertain to the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) door frames at the Lord Ayyappa temple following the replating of the claddings on the artefacts.
The Kerala High Court constituted the SIT to probe the cases.