UDF again boycotts Kerala assembly over Sabarimala gold allegations

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 24 (PTI) The Congress-led UDF opposition again disrupted and boycotted the Kerala assembly proceedings on Tuesday, raising the issue of alleged gold misappropriation from Sabarimala.

After squatting in the well of the House, shouting slogans against the government over the Sabarimala issue, the opposition boycotted the House and walked out.

Earlier, accusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of "interfering" in the probe by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the Sabarimala gold loss cases and demanding the resignation of state Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan, the UDF members held up placards and banners in the House and shouted slogans against the ruling Left government.

Following the opposition protest, Speaker A N Shamseer suspended the question hour and proceeded to transact other business.

As soon as the question hour began, the opposition informed the Speaker that they would not cooperate with the House proceedings due to the government's stand on the Sabarimala gold loss issue and the arrest of Tantri (chief priest) Kandararu Rajeevaru.

Senior Congress legislator K Babu conveyed the UDF's stance to the House as Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan is away on his ongoing 'Navayuga Yatra'.

After protesting in front of the Speaker's dais with placards and a banner, the opposition squatted in the well of the House and continued to raise slogans against the ruling front.

The ruling LDF hit back at the opposition with its ministers P Rajeev and M B Rajesh pointing out that the UDF could not move even a single no-confidence motion against the government in the last five years.

They also said that the opposition could not even bring a single instance of graft allegation against any of the 21 ministers in the government.

The ministers accused the Congress-led opposition of "political bankruptcy" and being against the interests of the state.

After shouting slogans in the well of the House for more than half-an-hour, the opposition boycotted the proceedings and walked out.

On Monday also the opposition had staged a protest in the House, flagging the grant of bail to the accused in the Sabarimala gold loss cases and strongly criticising the government over the arrest of the tantri "without any iota of evidence".

The UDF had also alleged that the major accused in the case had got bail due to the lapses on the part of the government.

The SIT, constituted by the Kerala High Court, is investigating the alleged misappropriation of gold from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and the door frames of the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum) at Sabarimala. PTI HMP ROH