UDF forced to suspend MLAs, says Chief Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Coming down heavily on the two suspended CPM MLAs James Mathew and T V Rajesh for their alleged unruly behaviour in the Assembly, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said  that the duo were suspended after they questioned the Speaker’s ruling on Monday in connection with Friday’s incident in the Assembly. Chandy said that the Speaker from early morning had been meeting with the leaders  of both the UDF and the LDF and it was decided to amicably settle the issue by avoiding a suspension.“The UDF had first demanded suspension of the MLAs but after the discussions with the Speaker it was decided to just to name both the members in the  House and register their regret for the incidents on Friday. The decision was taken after the Opposition demanded that the two MLAs should not be suspended. But it came as a shock for the members in the assembly when James Mathew challenged the Speaker’s ruling by shouting against him.This amounted to violating the agreement that the UDF and the LDF had reached earlier on the  issue,’’ he said.Chandy said he was forced to present the resolution after the gross violation of the code of conduct by the two MLAs by interfering with the Speaker’s ruling.  “The Opposition is trying to disrupt the House for the 10th time in 13 days that the Assembly had met. The proceedings of the House should not be carried out through frequent  deployment of the watch and ward. The entire proceedings of the House should be telecast instead of just the question hour so that people should see what is happening inside the House,’’ he said.  Denying the Opposition allegation that he  had  prepared the resolution before hand, Chandy said he framed the resolution at the spot after James Mathew and T V Rajesh started shouting against the Speaker when he was giving the  ruling. IUML leader and Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty said that it was a joint decision to limit the action to just naming the two CPM members in the House and record their regret but the act by James Mathew and T V Rajesh was utterly shameful and shocking. “This suspension is something that the two CPM members invited for themselves,’’ he said. Condemning the act of the two CPM legislators, Kerala Congress leader K M Mani said that never during his 46 years in the Assembly, had  he witnessed such indiscipline in the House. “It is an open flout of  code of conduct, which is a very serious issue. Shouting against the Speaker by the same people against whom the Speaker was pronouncing his ruling is something that has happened for the first time in the house.  The words used by James Mathew against the Speaker should have never been used inside a House,’’ he said.