Left opposition calls for Kerala shutdown on Saturday

Leaders of Kerala's LDF on Friday decided to observe a state-wide dawn-to-dusk protest shutdown on Saturday after many Left legislators were injured in the fracas in the assembly during presentation of the state budget.

The Left Democratic Front (LDF) at a meeting also decided to call on state Governor P. Sathasivam to inform him that all rules and regulations of the budget presentation were not followed when the budget was presented by Finance Minister K.M. Mani.

The Kerala assembly witnessed unruly scenes on Friday as members of the Left opposition broke the speaker's chair and the electronic equipment to register their protest against Mani presenting the budget.

As Mani was reading his budget speech, angry Left legislators got into heated arguments with legislators from the treasury benches.

Later, Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan alleged that more than 20 of LDF legislators were mauled by the security staff and also the treasury bench legislators and had to seek medical attention.

However, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters that this is going according to the plan earlier scripted by the Left opposition.

"Two weeks ago I knew that they will organise a shutdown the next day after the budget is presented. Look what all happened on the floor of the assembly. And they did everything, and now to hide that shame, they are organising a shutdown. The people are seeing everything," said Chandy to reporters after hearing about the shutdown.

Incidentally, this is the second state-wide shutdown this year. The first was held on January 27 and was called by the BJP for pressing for resignation of Mani, who allegedly accepted Rs.1 crore in bribe from bar owners to allow the closed down bars to be reopened.