The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday plunged into chaos over the infamous solar scam with a determined, slogan-shouting Opposition persisting in its demand for the resignation of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the Congress-led ruling UDF putting up a noisy defence for itself and for Chandy, prompting Speaker N Sakthan to adjourn the House early.
“Chandy should resign if he knows the meaning of the word shame,” said Opposition leader VS Achuthanandan amidst the din while the Chief Minister, facing bribery charge in the solar scam, lamented, ‘It is painful that the Opposition is attacking this Government and me by believing the allegations raised by an accused in 33 fraud cases.”
The Opposition members marched into the Well of the House and squatted there shouting slogans demanding the Government’s resignation which led to the stalling of the proceedings I the morning itself. Even after the House resumed proceedings, the din prevailed and the Speaker was forced to rush through the other businesses to announce adjournment for the day.
Saritha S Nair, perpetrator of the scam and main accused in the cases related to it, had on January 27 said that she had paid as bribe `1.90 crore and `40 lakh respectively to Chandy and his Power Minister Aryadan Muhammad. She also contradicted Chandy’s claim that he had not known her by saying that she had met him and spoken with him over phone several times.
Trouble in the House on Tuesday began during the Question Hour itself with members of the CPI(M)-led Opposition lDF carrying placards demanding Chandy’s resignation raising loud protests following which Deputy Opposition leader Kodiyeri Balakrishnan moved notice for leave for an adjournment motion seeking urgent discussion on the scam.
In his speech seeking leave for the adjournment motion on the allegations raised by Saritha against the Chandy and Aryadan, Kodiyeri said the Government was surviving with the help of a ventilator which was the stay imposed by the High Court on a Vigilance court order for probe against them. “The Government’s life is till this ventilator gets removed,” he said.
Referring to Chandy’s repeated statements in the Assembly that he had never known Saritha and his deposition before the judicial commission looking into the scam that he might have met her three times, Kodiyeri said, “The Chief Minister says one thing in the Assembly and another thing before the commission. Whom is he trying to misleadIJ”