Protesting CM's remarks, UDF walks out of Kerala assembly

The opposition UDF today walked out of the Kerala Assembly proceedings, protesting against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's refusal to withdraw his controversial remarks linking it and the Shiv Sena.
Vijayan had yesterday said that Shiv Sena activists, who allegedly indulged in moral policing in Kochi on March 8, were hired by the Congress-led UDF, triggering a turmoil in the House.
When the proceedings began this morning, the UDF members came to the House with banners sporting slogans asking the CM to "withdraw yesterday's wrong remarks".
Instead Vijayan further sharpened his attack alleging that theUDF and the Sangh Parivar were in consonance. He claimed that the opposition looked troubled whenever someone said anything about the Shiv Sena and the Sangh Parivar.

"That is what is being continuously seen in the assembly. What is this for? The public is understanding all this," Vijayan said.
Targeting Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala, the Chief Minister said, "He and his followers were taking a stand of moving together with the Sangh Parivar. It was against this trend that I had reacted yesterday."

Vijayan termed as a "blatant lie" the statement of Chennithala that he had moved towards the Well of the House yesterday and spoken angrily with the opposition.
There should be a limit for "baseless propaganda...When the Speaker is not in the Chair, members and Ministers stand in the Well of the House and there is nothing wrong in it. Such incidents have happened earlier also. In the current session also it has happened," he said.

"I did not move from my seat when the Leader of the Opposition was addressing and the Speaker was in the chair," Vijayan said.
Members of the ruling LDF and the UDF nearly came to blows yesterday while discussing the moral policing allegedly by the Sena activists who chased away young couples at the Marine Drive in Kochi.
Chennithala said the chief minister's statement that the Sena activists were hired by UDF had virtually questioned the front's integrity and demanded its withdrawal.
He said the Speaker had also not taken a decision on their request for expunging Vijayan's remarks.
The UDF members then walked out, announcing boycott of today's proceedings.

Talking to reporters later, Chennithala said the UDF did not want a certificate from the Chief Minister.
"Vijayan has a track record of joining hands with RSS/BJP even during elections. So, we do not need a certificate from Vijayan to fight against Sangh Parivar," he said.
Chenntihala also alleged that Vijayan had entered the Well of the House and it was against the decorum of the position he holds. Such a thing had never happened in the history of the Kerala Assembly earlier, he claimed.
He rejected Vijayan's statement that UDF had"hired" the Shiv
Sena.