Rebel KC-M leader censured by Kerala Assembly

In an unprecedented action, Kerala Assembly today censured rebel Kerala Congress (M) leader P C George for making "derogatory" remarks against JSS leader K R Gowriamma and her late husband besides former minister T V Thomas in 2013.
Based on the report of the Ethics Committee of the Assembly, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy moved a motion seeking censure of George, former government chief whip, which was approved by the House.
Opposition members, who were in the committee, had sought severe punishment for George. This is the first time, the assembly has censured a member of the House.
Speaker N Shakthan said such instances should not be repeated.

George said he accepted the decision of the House with all humility. "What I had said in a private conversation inside my house, had been blown up and made public by the media," he said.
The Ethics Committee, headed by K Muraleedharan of Congress, had in 2013 recommended that George be censured.

The committee had taken up the issue on a complaint by CPI(M) politburo member and former minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
Admitting that he had made some nasty remarks against Gowriamma, leader of Janathipathiya Samrakshan Samithy (JSS) and Thomas, George said, "I will not deny it now. With all due respect I accept the Speaker's decision."

George, who is on a warpath against Kerala Congress(M) and its supremo K M Mani, later told reporters that a UDF MLA, K Selvaraj had yesterday made some "unparliamentary" remarks against a woman MLA.
When such instances were happening inside the House, no action had been taken, while he had been censured for making some remarks during a private conversation at his house.
Stating that he would not criticise the Assembly committee, George said he respects it and accepts its decision.
Today's censure comes close on the heels of KC(M) deciding to recommend disqualification of George from the Assembly.
A high-power committee of KC(M) had last night decided to move an application before the Assembly Speaker seeking to disqualify George from the House following his outbursts against the party and its leaders.

Following his outbursts against Mani, finance minister in the UDF cabinet, George was stripped of the post of Government Chief Whip and also suspended from the post of Vice-Chairman of KC-M, a coalition partner of ruling UDF.