From allegations against Mamkootathil to custodial torture; Kerala Assembly likely to be stormy

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 14 (PTI) The 12-day-long Kerala Legislative Assembly session, set to begin here Monday, is likely to be stormy as both the ruling LDF and opposition UDF may target each other over a host of issues ranging from police atrocities to sexual misconduct allegations against Palakkad MLA Rahul Mamkootathil.

The House is being convened at a time when the CPI (M)-led government and the Congress-headed opposition are facing some embarrassing matters.

Though the UDF was basking in their remarkable victory in the Nilambur bypoll and was looking ways to sharpen their attack against the ruling front in the House, the multiple sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Mamkootathil became an unexpected blow for them.

Though the Palakkad legislator had resigned as Youth Congress state president and had been suspended from the party, the Congress is still struggling to find a convincing narrative to tackle the questions of political opponents.

As Mamkootathil had been in the forefront of protests against the state government and CM Vijayan inside and outside the Assembly, he is likely to face sarcastic comments and protests in the House if he attends the session.

Neither Mamkootathil nor the Congress has confirmed about his participation so far.

However, Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer on Sunday said he received a letter from Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan requesting him to change his seat from the opposition bloc as the Palakkad MLA was suspended from the Congress parliamentary party.

The recent suicide of two Congress leaders in Wayanad district and a sucide attempt by a family member of one of them are also likely to haunt the UDF during heated arguments in the House.

At the same time, the Congress-led UDF is likely to attack the Left government vehemently over a host of incidents of alleged police atrocities in various places across the state.

They have already been staging state-wide protests after CCTV visuals of the custodial torture of a Youth Congress leader in Kunnamkulam police station two years ago came out recently.

LoP Satheesan questioned the continuing silence of CM Vijayan, who also holds home portfolio, over the matter and said that the opposition would make him speak in the House on the matter.

The allegations of corruption and financial irregularities raised against some senior CPI(M) leaders by a DYFI leader in Thrissur, the purported audio of which was leaked recently, are also likely to be taken up by the Opposition in the House.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB)'s move to organise Global Ayyappa Sangamam, hosts of allegations against the state Health Department, the spread of amoebic meningoencephalitis, a brain fever which claimed several lives in the state in the last two months, and alleged delay in the rehabilitation initiatives in landslide-hit Wayanad are likely to trigger intense debate.

The financial constraints of the state and the situation after the GST reformation are expected to be raised by the finance minister and the opposition is likely to counter it by pointing out the alleged extravagance of the state government.

Speaker Shamseer said the 14th session of the 15th Kerala Assembly would be held in three phases from September 15 to October 10. On Monday, the House would be adjourned after obituary references to former Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, former speaker P P Thankachan, and Peerumedu MLA Vazhoor Soman.

He said the upcoming session is exclusively dedicated to law-making -- nine days for legislation and two days for private members' bills.

Four bills, to be presented in the House, have been finalised and 13 other bills are also expected to come up during the session.

The discussion and voting in connection with the supplementary grants for the budget of the financial year 2025-26 would be held on October 6, he said adding that the House would be adjourned on October 10. PTI LGK ADB