Kerala Assembly adjourned amid LDF protest

LDF members, who were protesting in the assembly throughout the session over solar and bar bribery scams targeting Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Power Minister Arayadan Muhammed, on Wednesday took up a graft case against Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash when he was the Food Minister from 2004 to 2006. 

Coming to the defence of Prakash, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said LDF charges were politically motivated and when the case was filed it was in power. The government has no information about the Vigilance Director rejecting the investigation report that gave clean chit to Prakash, he said. 

“Not only that, it is a 10-year old case”. The Opposition was raking up the case with a political motive, he said. Denying the allegations, Prakash said he has not made any attempt to cover up the case against him. He admitted there was a charge-sheet against him in the case and he had obtained bail. 

Prakash had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 25 lakhs from a ration dealer for setting up a wholesale ration depot in Kozhikode when he was the Food Minister in 2004-2006. 

Seeking to move an adjournment motion, Suresh Kurup (CPM) wanted a debate on the situation following the “decision” of Director of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to reject the investigation report that gave clean chit to Prakash. 

LDF members announced they would continue their protest by staging a ‘dharna’ inside the House when speaker N Sakthan rejected their notice for debate. They trooped to the Well of the House and started raising slogans against the government.

When the agitation continued, the Speaker took up other business slated earlier and adjourned the House for 45 minutes. He also held a meeting with leaders of both UDF and LDF to resolve the matter. Later, the House was adjourned for the day.