The Kerala Assembly's first meeting after the tumultuous incidents of Friday last passed off without incident today, but the zero hour which follows may not be all that easy. 

The ruling coalition as well as the Opposition have given separate notices blaming each other for the incidents and have sought action. 

ADJOURNMENT MOTION

This morning, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Kodiyeri Balakrishnan sought leave for moving an adjournment motion against the wrongs committed against its women members on Friday. 

He alleged that MLAs belonging to the ruling coalition pushed and shoved the women members in the guise of protecting the Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.   

During zero hour, Chandy is expected to make a statement seeking censure/ suspension of members of the Opposition who had rushed into the Speaker' dais and destroyed it. 

Action against the errant members is more or less guaranteed now that a tough talking Governor P Sathasivam has spoken his mind on the issue, evening mentioning Article 356 in the process.

SEPAKER CONSULTS LEADERS

Meanwhile, Speaker N Sakthan is consulting leaders of various parties ahead of zero hour seeking their cooperation for the smooth conduct of business. 

In a special statement, he said, as Speaker, he could not but hang his head in shame before the entire world which may have witnessed the events unfold in the House. 

He was of the view that the House should collectively apologise to the public for the unruly scenes that saw the Speaker's chair being hurled into the well and his dais destroyed. 

In another development, the Opposition has taken exception to the Speaker's statement that the unfortunate developments in the House amounted to a criminal offence. 

OPPISITION ALLEGATION

It accused the Speaker of siding with the ruling coalition to which he belonged before assuming the independent office of the guardian of the House.  

Meanwhile, acting on a complaint of the Legislature Secretary, the Kerala police created history by entering the State Assembly and assessing the damage caused after it was vandalised on Friday. 

The police is reported to have estimated a loss of Rs 5 lakh according to preliminary assessments.

The Chief Minister has said the Governor's remarks on the unruly behaviour of MLAs in the State Assembly was not directed against his government.

Speaking to newspersons in Kottayam, he said he could not say if action would be taken against those who had created a ruckus in the House on budget day on Friday.

GOVERNOR’S ROLE

Chandy went on to say that he did not subscribe to the view of Chief Whip PC George that the Governor’s position had become redundant in the state.

George said it was hardly the brief of a Governor to take calculated pot-shots at the government. The Opposition would take it to task on policies and programmes.  

Earlier, the Governor expressed anguish over the developments in the Assembly, which he said was a fit case for invoking Article 356 in the state.

He broke with tradition to issue a press note on Saturday saying that the ugly nature of the events justified invoking Article 356 and reported as much to the President.

PRESIDENT INFORMED

Under this Article, the President can dismiss a State Government, dissolve the Assembly or keep it under suspended animation in the event of a failure of the constitutional machinery in that State.

The ruling coalition, including Finance Minister KM Mani, had disapproved the mention of Article 356. But the Opposition welcomed it, saying their stand had been validated.

The press note said the Governor had also examined in detail video clippings and media reports on the developments in the House.

From the visuals, he was able to draw prima facie evidence on how Opposition members had insulted the Speaker and used muscle power to block the Finance Minister on the floor.

The Governor urged the government to take appropriate action against those responsible for the unruly behaviour so that such events did not happen in the future.

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