Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) on Friday had the rare privilege of its charges against the Oommen Chandy government over the solar scam and the bar bribery row being publicly acknowledged by Governor P. Sathasivam on the floor of the Kerala Assembly, but also suffered the serious discomfiture of being told by the Governor to sit quietly and listen to him or leave the House without disrupting his customary policy address on the opening day of the Assembly’s budget session.
The Governor rapped the Opposition, firmly but without losing his cool, when the Opposition members raised slogans against the government disrupting his address to the House.
The Opposition was clearly taken off guard by the Governor’s sharp remarks and confusion prevailed in the LDF benches for a few minutes before they chose to walk out of the House. Earlier, even as the Governor stood up to deliver the address, Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan was on his feet appealing him not to deliver the address for a government that had lost its credibility owing to the corruption charges against it. The Governor listened to him patiently and began reading out his speech only after Mr. Achuthanandan resumed his seat.
Sloganeering
However, when the Opposition members began disrupting his speech with sloganeering seeking resignation of the Oommen Chandy government, Mr. Sathasivam said, “Honourable Mr. Achuthanandan, you have raised your democratic protest… While you have a right to protest, you have to now allow me to do my Constitutional duty. Either you sit quietly or you are free to go out and take it to the people."
When his appeal fell on deaf ears, the Governor continued his admonition.
