The fifteenth session of the Thirteenth Kerala Assembly starting Monday is certain to become chaotic as the CPI(M)-led Opposition lDF is determined to stir up a storm over several issues including `10-crore bar bribery charge against Congress’s Excise Minister K Babu and the Congress-headed ruling UDF is set to use the case registered against six Opposition MlAs over the March 13 ruckus in the Assembly to defend itself.

In an unprecedented act, the Crime Branch of the Kerala Police has registered criminal cases against six leftist MlAs over the ruckus that erupted in the Assembly on March 13 when the Opposition tried to prevent then Finance Minister KM Mani, accused in the bar bribery case, from presenting the Budget. Mani resigned as Minister on November 10 following the adverse observations of the High Court.

The Crime Branch had registered the FIR against the six MlAs  EP Jayarajan, V Sivankutty, K Ajith, CK Sadasivan, K Kunhammed and KT Jaleel a month ago at the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court in Thiruvananthapuram. It is rumoured that the police may chargesheet these legislators before the Assembly session concludes which would make it a huge political issue.

As per the FIR, public property worth R2 lakh had been destroyed by the Opposition MlAs during the ruckus in the House. The FIR is said to have been prepared on the basis of the visuals of the happenings in the Assembly collected from surveillance systems and statements of Assembly employees and independent witnesses.

However, observers point out that the case over the Assembly ruckus would not be sufficient for the ruling UDF to defend itself against the onslaught of the Opposition lDF, which has found a new energy after its victory in the local bodies poll, on issues like the bar bribery scam over which a minister has already resigned and a second Minister is facing the pressure to resign.

The Opposition has already alleged “double justice” on the part of the Government and the Speaker as no action has so far been taken on the complaint against the Congress MlAs who had allegedly outraged the modesty of certain woman MlAs belonging to the Opposition amidst the chaos in the Assembly on March 13.

A court in Thiruvananthapuram had earlier initiated case against Congress MlAs K Sivadasan Nair, MA Wahid and Dominic Presentation on a complaint that they had outraged the modesty of woman Opposition MlAs. Janata Dal (S) member Jameela Prakasam had petitioned Speaker N Sakthan about this immediately after the incident, but he had not taken any action on it.

Protesting against the police move, CPI(M) legislator Sivankutty, one of the six MlAs named in the FIR, said it would create a bad precedent for the Assembly. “This is something that questions the authority of the Assembly. The police should have no role in matters related to the House,” Sivankutty said.

Alleging that the Government was trying to trap Opposition members in fake cases, EP Jayarajan, another Marxist MlA named in the FIR, said that the case was a ploy of the UDF regime to somehow thwart the protests against Minister Babu, who was facing charge in the bar bribery scam, in the Assembly.

One of the main items on the agenda of this Assembly session is the election of the Deputy Speaker. The Congress has already decided to make Palode Ravi, its MlA from Nedumangad the Deputy Speaker and the election is likely to take place on Wednesday. The session will conclude on December 17.