The Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed a government-sponsored motion to suspend three Congress (UDF) MLAs for the remainder of the current session, following repeated disruptions and alleged attacks on assembly staff. The decision came after the opposition benches staged a walkout and refused to participate in proceedings.
The suspended legislators are Roji M. John, M. Vincent, and Saneesh Kumar (Joseph). The motion to suspend them was moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M. B. Rajesh and adopted by voice vote in the absence of the opposition.
The backdrop to this drastic parliamentary move is a multi-day standoff in the Assembly centering on allegations of irregularities in the Sabarimala temple gold-plating exercise. The opposition, led by the UDF, has been demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan and accountability from the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB). Since October 6, the opposition has boycotted House proceedings and repeatedly stormed into the well of the House, waving placards and attempting to breach the Speaker’s podium.
Tensions exploded on Thursday when, according to the government, the protesting MLAs forcibly tried to push past the Watch and Ward staff stationed near the Speaker’s dais. In the ensuing scuffle, the Chief Marshal M. Shibu reportedly sustained a serious fracture in his right arm while trying to restrain the advance. He is said to be undergoing emergency surgery at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajesh, while moving the suspension resolution, accused the UDF of “crossing the point of no return” and engaging in violence that violated norms of Assembly conduct, including assaults on women staffers. The Assembly disruptions stem from a controversy over missing gold from the Dwarapalaka idols of the Sabarimala temple. The Kerala High Court had earlier flagged discrepancies in the weight of gold-plated copper claddings removed and reinstalled without proper accounting, and ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to inventory the temple’s valuables. Opposition members say the reduction in gold weight indicates misappropriation, and have accused the Devaswom Board and the government of a cover-up. The ruling front has responded by pointing to the ongoing court-supervised probe and accusing the opposition of seeking political mileage through legislative disruption.
Thursday’s suspension move came at a moment when the UDF had already deserted the House in protest. Unable to get the opposition’s vote, the government resorted to passing the resolution unilaterally.
The suspension of three senior MLAs marks a sharp escalation in the confrontation between the ruling LDF and opposition UDF over the Sabarimala scandal.
Also Read: Ronaldo Is The First Soccer Billionaire with Al-Nassr
