THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The Kerala Assembly descended into chaos on Tuesday after Speaker A.N. Shamseer refused permission for an emergency motion on the alleged death threat against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The notice, moved by the state Congress President Sunny Joseph, was intended to spark an immediate debate, but the Speaker ruled that the issue lacked both urgency and significance under Assembly rules.
Shamseer’s observation that the matter was a “trivial issue” infuriated the Opposition, who accused the Chair of undermining a grave security concern.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan hit back sharply, stating that belittling a threat to a national leader was unacceptable and unbecoming of the Chair. He insisted that the House had every right to take up such matters of public importance.
The Speaker, however, stood firm. He pointed out that the controversy stemmed from remarks made during a television debate and argued that such statements could not form the basis of an emergency motion.
“If someone says something in a TV discussion, how can it be discussed here?” he asked, reiterating that the subject did not warrant urgent consideration.
The response only escalated tensions. Opposition members stormed the well of the House, waving banners and shouting slogans against the government and the Speaker.
Slogans reverberated through the chamber as members accused the ruling front of attempting to silence discussion on a critical issue, creating dramatic scenes rarely witnessed in the Assembly.
Amid the uproar, the Speaker rushed through pending business before adjourning the House abruptly for the day.
The hasty conclusion underlined the severity of the deadlock, as both sides refused to back down.
The Congress has made clear that it will not let the issue fade, framing it as a test of the government’s seriousness on matters of security and democratic accountability.
The ruling Left, meanwhile, maintains that the controversy is being inflated for political mileage and insists that proper procedures must be followed.
With local body polls just weeks away and Assembly elections due next year, the row over Rahul Gandhi’s security has quickly morphed into a flashpoint in Kerala. — IANS
