Kerala Assembly: Political backwash of T.P. Chandrasekharan murder continues to beset House

UDF Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly accuses government of lying about remissions for T.P. Chandrasekharan's killers, sparking political drama.

The political backwash of the 2012 murder of CPI(M) dissident and Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) founder T.P. Chandrasekharan beset the Kerala Legislative Assembly again on June 27. 

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition walked out of the Assembly on the same subject for the second time in three days, accusing the government of lying to the House about the well-documented move to grant remissions to lifers serving time for Chandrasekharan’s assassination. 

Intriguing political theatre preceded the UDF’s effort to raise the politically touchy issue in the Assembly again.

A seemingly alarmed Kerala government hastily suspended jail officials who purportedly initiated the remission process from service pending investigation minutes before the House took up Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheeshan’s submission on the highly animating topic.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s absence in the House seemed loudly conspicuous. Minister M.B. Rajesh replied in Mr. Vijayan’s stead to the submission.

Speaker A.N. Shamseer, who had drawn Opposition criticism for allegedly defending the government, was not on the Chair. Deputy Speaker Chittayam Gopakumar officiated in his stead.

Mr. Satheesan’s submission had the makings of an adjournment debate. He accused the government of diluting prison rules and conditions for remission of sentence to stack the decks in favour of Chandrasekharan’s killers.