The Congress-led UDF opposition walked out of the Kerala Assembly on Friday in protest against the Speaker’s refusal to allow a notice moved by a UDF MLA to adjourn the House and discuss the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed the condition of women in the Malayalam film industry.

Speaker AN Shamseer rejected the adjournment motion moved by UDF’s Vadakara MLA KK Rema on the Hema Committee report, stating that the issue was sub-judice. He clarified that the motion was disallowed by him, not by the government. The Speaker also did not allow Opposition Leader VD Satheesan to make a walk-out speech.

Advertisement

The Speaker further emphasized that it was his decision to reject the motion and not the government’s. “When the Chair itself rejects the motion, it is against parliamentary decorum to make a walk-out speech. But the Opposition Leader can make a brief walk-out statement,” he said.

Later, speaking to media persons, Opposition Leader VD Satheesan said that the Speaker’s action was unfair, as there were numerous precedents of the Assembly discussing issues that were before the courts. He cited the ‘solar case’ as an example.

“When I raised the matter as a question, the Speaker told me to bring it as a submission or in other forms. If being sub-judice was the issue, then even questions should not have been allowed. We have precedents of such matters being discussed here. It’s a disgrace for the Assembly that such an issue concerning women was not discussed. I am asking whether the Assembly has become a ‘Kaurava Sabha’,” Satheesan said.

Satheesan accused the Chief Minister and Culture Minister Saji Cheriyan of misleading the Assembly by claiming that Justice Hema had asked not to release the report. He clarified that Justice Hema had only cautioned the government to uphold the guidelines of the Supreme Court to protect the report’s confidentiality, but the Chief Minister and the minister claimed she had asked for the report not to be released.

“For four and a half years, the government sat on the report, which revealed a series of sexual offences. As per the POCSO Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita, that’s a crime. The Chief Minister and the ministers have committed a criminal offence,” he added.

“The Vijayan government has committed a criminal offence, and the court has also confirmed what we pointed out — why no probe was launched earlier,” Satheesan said. He also questioned the government’s integrity in conducting a probe on the Hema Committee report, stating that many of the victims were unwilling to give their statements as they did not trust the government.

“How can women trust this government when officers and ministers hide sexual crimes? That’s why no one comes forward to testify. If the government had supported the victims, they would have come forward. The experiences of the Walayar and Vandiperiyar cases are before us,” Satheesan said.