The Kerala Assembly on Friday unanimously passed a resolution saluting Indian soldiers for the surgical strikes at the terror launchpads across the line of Control despite the stiff standoff in the House between the CPI(M)-led lDF Government and the Congress-led UDF Opposition over the hike in fees in self-financing medical colleges.
Presenting the resolution in the Assembly, Marxist Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, “This House declares its total support for the Indian Army’s action to resist the terror attacks from across the border. This House congratulates the soldiers for the measures they adopted to ensure the nation’s security.”
The resolution also said that diplomatic and political initiatives should be adopted to ensure avoidance of situations that might lead to escalation in tension. “Along with taking a cautious approach to avoid recurrence of incidents like those in Pathankot and Uri, this House requests the Central Government to continue diplomatic efforts for settling the issue,” Pinarayi said.
Supporting the resolution, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress said, “The Indian action against terrorism was indeed appropriate. I salute the brave Indian Army for its action.” Former Union minister O Rajagopal, lone BJP member in the Kerala Assembly, also spoke in support of the resolution.
The three UDF MlAs – Congress’s Shafi Parambil and Hibi Eden and Anoop Jacob of the Kerala Congress (J) – observing an indefinite protest fast in the portal leading to the Assembly hall since Wednesday over fee hike in private medical colleges had paid tributes to the Indian Army the other day. They observed the fast holding a banner that read “We Salute Indian Army”.
The two Muslim league MlAs who were observing a Satyagraha in support of the fasting legislators and several others from outside the Assembly joined them in saluting the Army for the attack on terror facilities across the loC. “The Indian Army’s action is spirit-enhancing,” said one of the fasting legislators.
Meanwhile, noisy protests by the UDF Opposition over the issue of the fee hike in private medical colleges stalled the Assembly proceedings for the fifth consecutive day, Friday.
The Speaker announced early adjournment as he had done in the previous days as the din worsened with the rejection of permission for the Opposition for an adjournment motion on the issue.
According to observers, the Opposition has led itself into a trap with its protests as the Government has already made it clear that it is not prepared to make any changes to the fee structure in private medical colleges for which it had reached an agreement with the college managements.
“The Opposition is now looking for a safe way to end the protests without hurting its political pride but that is not easy in the present situation. The Government is firm in its stand that the present agreement is the best the State could get in today’s circumstances. Also, the Opposition does not seem to have any convincing suggestions to make,” said a senior journalist.
Members of the Opposition had arrived in the Assembly on Friday wearing black badges and holding banners and placards demanding revision of the fee structure in medical colleges. The Opposition has decided to continue the protests till Monday as the House will not function for the next two days and a decision on further course of action will be taken on Monday.
While seeking leave for the adjournment motion, VT Balaram of the Congress called for steps to ban capitation fee in private medical colleges and for ending the MlAs’ protest fast outside the Assembly hall which entered the third day on Friday. However, the Speaker refused permission saying adjournment motion could not be allowed on the same subject for more than three times.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told the House that the Government would take firm action against managements if they charged capitation fee in medical colleges. “The Opposition members should hand over to the Government any complaints they get on capitation fee. The Government will forward such complaints to the Vigilance for action,” he said.