By IANS
New Delhi : Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee adjourned the house Wednesday for two hours after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Left MPs carried on in a verbal clash over the political violence in Kerala’s Kannur district and the state high court’s observation that central forces should be sent there.
The speaker condemned the members’ behaviour, saying: “The parliament has become a public street”.
At 11.10 a.m., he adjourned the proceedings of the house at till 1 p.m.
“I can only express my agony…It is a murder of democracy,” the anguished speaker added, as MPs belonging to the BJP and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) shouted slogans against each other.
Raising the issue, BJP leader Anant Kumar demanded the dismissal of Kerala government pointing out that the Kerala High Court has criticised the state government’s role in controlling the political violence in northern Kerala.
Clashes between the CPI-M and Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) workers in Kannur district’s Thalassery town in the northern part of Kerala have led to the death of seven people since last week.
Kumar said the high court has observed that the centre should send its forces to control the situation in the state. As Kumar completed his remarks, BJP MPs were on their feet shouting slogans like “Dismiss Kerala government”, “Control CPI-M” and “United Progressive Alliance government is useless”. In retaliation, some CPI-M MPs demanded a ban on the RSS.
Before the house met, BJP MPs led by M. Venkaiah Naidu held a demonstration before the parliament house asking for the dismissal of the Kerala government led by CPI-M.
Talking to reporters, Naidu alleged that CPI-M leaders did not respect the judiciary. He challenged the communists to allow an all-party delegation to visit the violence-hit parts of the state.
“The centre should intervene to save the lives of innocent people. Politics of violence and threat will not work,” he said.
Before adjourning the Lok Sabha, the speaker stated that the budget discussions would begin when the house meets again.