Kerala: Oppn disrupts assembly session; CM Vijayan says 'don't know reason of protest'

On Monday, the fifth session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly was adjourned after the opposition protested and raised slogans in connection with the vandalism of Rahul Gandhi's office and the Kerala Gold smuggling case. As soon as the assembly's question hour started, the opposition began thumping tables and then raising slogans. The one-month-long session was being convened to discuss the financial year 2022-23.

Responding to the Kerala Assembly proceedings disruption, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated that the opposition is not telling the reason for their protest.

Speaker M B Rajesh urged several times to refrain from disrupting the question hour of the House, but the opposition members did not pay heed. The Congress-led UDF had made it clear that they would raise the ongoing controversies in the House.

However, the fifth session was expected to have a turbulent session as the opposition led by the Congress is equipped with enough ongoing developments in the state, ranging from the startling revelations by a key accused Swapana Suresh in the gold smuggling case against CM Vijayan to the vandalisation of Rahul Gandhi's office by SFI activists, to take on the CPI(M)-led LDF government.

Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad Office Vandalised

Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi's office was allegedly vandalised by the Communist Party of India's (Marxist) student wing Students' Federation of India (SFI) on Friday, June 24. Following the LDF government's order in the vandalism act carried out at the Congress leader's office on Friday night, so far 19 SFI activists have been arrested and are on remand, reported PTI citing police officials. 

All of them have been remanded for two weeks by a local court, informed the police further adding that more arrests are expected on Saturday. "At present, the case is investigated by the Mananthavady Deputy Superintendent of Police and it will be handed over to the ADGP-led special investigation team soon," police told. 

Kerala Gold Scam

In July 2019, the customs department in Thiruvananthapuram busted a consignment that was touted as diplomatic baggage, which had around 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore. Later, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the investigation and arrested Swapna Suresh in July 2020, however, she was released in November 2021. The case reportedly involved two others namely M Sivasankar and Sandeep Nair. Apart from the NIA, the case is also being investigated by ED and the customs department.

(Image: ANI/PTI)