The Supreme Court, Wednesday, will deliver its verdict on Kerala government’s appeal to withdraw criminal cases against six legislators in connection with violence in the state assembly in 2015.
Of the six accused in the case, two are members of the present assembly--V Sivankutty is the state education minister and KT Jaleel is a former minister. All six (V Sivankutty, KT Jaleel, EP Jayarajan, CK Sadasivan, Kunahmed Master and K Ajith) were charged under the prevention of damage to public property act and other provisions. The verdict is crucial for Sivankutty, also the main accused in the case, because, according to political observers, the minister will have to resign in case of adverse remarks from the apex court
Kerala House witnessed violent scenes in March 2015, after Opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) legislators tried to prevent then finance minister KM Mani from presenting the budget, alleging his role in the bar bribery case. Angry members snapped mikes, threw chairs, destroyed furniture and damaged lights in the melee, and two legislators were later hospitalised. The session was broadcast live when the violence took place and property worth ₹2.20 lakh was destroyed in the ruckus.
In 2016, the government appealed for withdrawal of the cases, but a local court rejected the plea. The government then moved the high court, which also turned down its plea. The government invoked the privilege of legislators and public interest to justify its plea, but the high court said privilege was not a licence to carry out violence in the House.
Interestingly, the coterie of KM Mani, the minister t the heart of the issue, is part of the LDF camp now. After his death in 2019, KM Mani’s party Kerala Congress (M) split, and his son took a splintered faction to the LDF camp. A predominant Christian party, Kerala Congress (M)’s foray into LDF helped it win many seats in the Christian heartland of central Travancore; and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is now forced to swallow its earlier charges against KM Mani.
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