Opposition in Kerala behaving in 'undemocratic manner': Congress

Congress leader P.C. Chacko on Friday alleged that the opposition party in Kerala is behaving in a very undemocratic manner.

Chacko, who was reacting to the chaos that took place in the Kerala Assembly earlier this morning when the state's Finance Minister K.M. Mani began presenting the budget, said it was unfortunate and a deliberate creation of the opposition parties.

"The opposition is behaving in a very undemocratic manner. There is no legal bar for K.M. Mani to continue or present the budget. The opposition is making a demand that the Finance Minister who is legally entitled to present the budget should not present the budget, was in itself a wrong demand and was not acceptable at all," Chacko said.

"They have taken all the steps to prohibit the speaker of the assembly to come to the chamber. We have seen in the past exchanges between, even fistfight between the ruling party and the opposition. But we have seen that the opposition is targetting the speaker," he added.

Several MLAs were injured in the clash that took place inside the Kerala Assembly. The Speaker's chair and mics were thrown as Mani read out the budget surrounded by his party men and security personnel.

Violent protest was also witnessed outside the Kerala Assembly.

The CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), which has been demanding Mani's resignation, has alleged that the Finance Minister accepted a bribe of Rs. one crore to renew licences of bars that were shut down by the administration.