Opposition members walk out of the State Assembly with the Speaker rejecting their notice for an adjournment motion for discussion in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday.
| Photo Credit: JAYAMOHAN A.
The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout and boycotted the proceedings of the Kerala Legislative Assembly after Speaker A.N. Shamseer disallowed its notice for an adjournment motion on granting parole to a CPI(M) councillor serving a 20-year prison sentence after being involved in an attempt to kill police personnel by hurling a bomb.
The Speaker declined to admit the adjournment motion under Rule 50 after ruling that the issue did not meet the urgency required to suspend the House proceedings for a detailed discussion. He said that the Opposition can raise the issue as a submission, prompting protests from the Opposition members, who gathered in the well of the House, holding placards and raising slogans.
Satheesan’s question
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said that the issue raised by the Opposition concerns the law and order situation in the State. “The issue that we raised involves granting parole to someone convicted for 20 years in a serious crime and the person indulging in criminal activity when he is out on parole. If such an issue does not have an urgency, why is the Assembly even being convened? Will no discussion be allowed on issues that the government finds itself in an inconvenient position,” asked Mr.Satheesan.
Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh said that the Opposition is raising non-issues since it is facing a serious dearth of issues to raise in the House. “The parole in this case was allowed on January 8, 2026. The House met for 4-5 days after that. If this issue was urgent, the Opposition would have raised it long ago. On January 22, the Opposition did not give notice for adjournment motion,” he said.
‘Deflecting public anger’
Mr. Rajesh accused the UDF of being hand in glove with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and of trying to deflect public anger over Kerala’s demands being ignored in the Union Budget. “Today, the entire State is discussing the cruel attitude of the Union government towards Kerala. The people have realised that what we have been saying all along was true and the claims of the UDF and the BJP were lies. Now, the UDF is raising this non-issue to deflect public anger from the BJP,” he said.
Even as the Opposition members trooped into the well of the House and raised slogans against the government, the submissions and calling attention motions were taken up. After close to an hour of sloganeering, Opposition members staged a walkout.
Published – February 02, 2026 05:08 pm IST
