Unruly scenes in Kerala Assembly over solar scam

With the stand-off over the solar scam continuing, CPI(M)-led LDF opposition and the UDF headed by ruling Congress virtually came face-to-face in the Kerala Assembly today, forcing Speaker G Karthikeyan to adjourn the House during zero hour.

As soon as the question hour was over, the LDF raised the issue through an adjournment notice and rushed to the well of the House not heeding the Speaker's plea to exercise restraint.

As the placard-wielding LDF members kept on shouting slogans, several members from the treasury benches rushed to the well and engaged in heated exchanges with the opposition, forcing the speaker to adjourn the House temporarily.

The solar panel scam pertained to financially cheating a large number of people by fraudsters Saritha Nair and Biju Radhakrishnan by offering them solar energy solutions. It assumed a political dimension after two staff members of chief minister Oommen Chandy were allegedly found to have made and received phone calls to and from Saritha and they were last week removed from the chief minister's office.

Both Saritha and her accomplice Biju Radhakrishnan were arrested and remanded in custody.

The Opposition has been disrupting the House since last week demanding resignation of Chandy over the issue which the latter has rejected categorically.