The Budget Session of the Kerala Assembly began on Monday on a stormy note with the Congress-led UDF Opposition stalling the proceedings over the alleged attempt of the CPI(M)-led lDF Government to sabotage the probe into the assault and molestation of a leading film actress in Kochi and reports on the alleged deterioration of the law and order situation in the nine months of the leftist rule.

Alleging the Government was not supporting the victim but was trying to protect the offenders, Opposition accused Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of hiding the truth. The Opposition also boycotted the House proceedings by charging that the Government could not be trusted in matters related to women’s safety.

The Opposition members, who demanded a fair probe into the attack on the film actress in Kochi on the night of February 17, had arrived at the House with banners reading, “Where is woman’s safetyIJ Goondas and Mafia are ruling the State.”  The protests

were so noisy and intense

that the Speaker was at one stage forced to adjourn the House for some time.

The main weapon of the Opposition was a statement the Chief Minister had made last week after the arrest of Sunil Kumar alias Pulsar Suni, leader of the gang that had assaulted the actress, indicating that there was no conspiracy involving prominent persons behind the incident and that the crime was conceived and executed by Suni himself.

After his statement triggered protests in the context of the claim by people close to the actress that there was indeed a conspiracy behind the abduction and attack, the Chief Minister had made a U-turn by explaining that he had never ruled out a conspiracy and that it was up to the police to find out such matters, adding that his statement was based on media reports.

“Despite the explanation, the Chief Minister’s statement in connection with the attack on the actress has created suspicions,” said Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala. “The Chief Minister, especially when he is holding the Home portfolio, should not have made such a statement on such a serious matter on the basis of media reports,” he said.

Moving the notice for adjournment motion on the issue, Congress legislator PT Thomas said, “The Chief Minister should reveal the identity of the person he has been trying to protect through his statement. He should apologize as he has been trying to derail the investigation.” Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (J) also sought leave for adjournment motion.

While replying, the Chief Minister was seen relying more on proverbs and clichés than on facts and hard information to defend himself by accusing the Opposition of politicizing an unfortunate incident like the attack on the actress. “What is the issueIJ Is it that the culprits should not have been caughtIJ The Government has never said there was no conspiracy,” he said.

Equating the Congress with the BJP-RSS, he said, “We often see that VM Sudheeran (State Congress president) and Kummanam Rajasekharan (Kerala BJP chief) are speaking in the same language.” The BJP retorted by saying that Pinarayi was attacking the party as he had nothing to say about the insecurity of women in the State and the collapse in the law and order situation.

After the Speaker refused leave for adjournment motion following Pinarayi’s reply, the Opposition members staged a sit-in inside the Assembly hall. The noisy protests forced the Speaker to adjourn the House for 45 minutes following which members of the Opposition boycotted the day’s remaining proceedings.

“Women’s safety is in danger in Kerala,” said Chennithala outside the Assembly Hall. “Pinarayi had put the lid on the probe (into the attack on the actress) just when it had started. He was effectively issuing an indirect instruction to the police that there was no need of an intense probe when he said there was no other accused (than Suni and his gang members),” he added.