Opposition stages sit-in in Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition staged a sit-in in the well of the Assembly and disrupted proceedings on Thursday demanding resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

The sit-in was staged after Speaker N. Sakthan declined permission to move an adjournment motion to discuss the allegations made by accused in the solar scam Biju Radhakrishnan against Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and others before the Judicial Enquiry Commission.

E. P. Jayarajan (CPI-M) and others, who had given notice to move the motion, said that Radhakrishnan had alleged that the Chief Minister had taken Rs. 5.5 crore from him as bribe. Opposition Leader V. S. Achuthanandan detailed that other nauseating allegations had also been made by Biju Radhakrishnan against Mr. Chandy, Ministers and members of the House.  He wished that they were not true. They brought shame upon the whole State.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who stoutly denied the allegations, said that he would stand against black mail. If the Opposition hoped to send him out humiliated, that was not going to happen. If one per cent of what was being alleged was true, he was not fit to continue in his position. If Radhakrishnan had CD of illicit relations, let him produce it.

The Chief Minister noted that Biju Radhakrishan was an accused in 58 cases. He was roaming freely during LDF rule despite being accused in the death of his wife. It was the present government that jailed him for murder. He had turned to black mail on finding that he would not be getting bail.

Mr. Chandy said that the discussions he had held with Radhakrishnan, who then introduced himself as R. B. Nair,  at Ernakulam was of secret nature. He would not disclose it because of his decency. Luckily for him, one Sivadas who was with Radhakrishnan had disclosed the details before the Enquiry Commission. Let the Commission be allowed to come to a proper conclusion (on the whole set of allegations).

Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that all cases related to solar scam had been investigated to the satisfaction of courts. The sum involved in all the cases was of the order of Rs. 6 crore. Now, the accused was claiming that he paid Rs. 5.5 crore to the Chief Minister.  Such allegations lacked credibility.

Labour Minister Shibhu Baby John, Electricity Minister Aryadan Muhammed, Minister for Tourism and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes A. P. Anil Kumar and members of the Assembly P. C. Vishnunath and Hibi Eden also refuted the allegations against them.

As the Opposition continued to shout slogans from the well of the House, the Speaker cancelled calling attentions and submissions. Motion for reference of the Kerala Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Bill to the Subject Committee and the Kerala State Commission for Forward Communities Bill to the Select Committee were adopted and the House was adjourned for tomorrow.