The Kerala Legislative Assembly, on Thursday, July 14, witnessed vociferous protests by members of the opposition against CPI(M) legislator MM Mani's insensitive remark that RMPI (Revolutionary Marxist Party of India) MLA KK Rema “becoming a widow was her fate” and they were “not responsible for it”. The Assembly was adjourned on Friday too after protests from the opposition for his comment. The MLA’s remark came after Rema criticised law enforcement under Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also handles the Home portfolio.
Rema's husband TP Chandrasekharan -- a CPI(M) rebel -- was hacked to death in May 2012 after he floated a parallel Left outfit called the Revolutionary Marxist Party of India (RMPI) in his home turf Onchiayam in north Kerala. In 2014, 11 people including three CPI(M) workers were sentenced to life imprisonment by a Kerala court for the murder of Chandrasekharan. The court, while pronouncing the verdict had said that the murder was only due to political enmity.
"The police are busy providing security to the CM. His heavily guarded motorcade resembles a travelling national emergency. It is amusing that LDF convener EP Jayarajan has compared the untraceable AKG Centre bomb thrower to the infamous 1984 murder-for-insurance case fugitive Sukumara Kurup," Rema said, to which Mani reacted.
Mani said that the "mahati" (meaning respectful woman), who spoke against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the LDF, became a widow and that was her fate. "We (Left front) are not responsible for that," he said. The opposition has pointed out that the word 'mahati' was also used in a condescending manner.
The statement invited the ire of the opposition which raised a point of order and demanded that Mani withdraw his remarks and apologise for the same. While the Speaker said the matter would be examined, several members of the opposition protested in front of his dais shouting slogans and demanding that Mani immediately apologise. Senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala termed it as a 'disgraceful incident' and said it was a shame the House was continuing in this manner where a member of the assembly has been insulted.
As Mani continued his submissions and contended that he had not insulted anyone, the opposition walked out of the House and then protested on the front steps of the assembly. Later, CM Pinarayi Vijayan defended Mani saying that he heard part of Mani's submissions and that he did not hear anything that was wrong or factually incorrect as claimed by the opposition. He also said that of late there was a trend that some members of the opposition are approaching the Speaker's dais and protesting before it.
As the question hour session began on Friday, the Congress-led UDF members raised the issue alleging that Mani had insulted womanhood and so he should withdraw his statement and tender an apology on the floor of the House. They also raised placards and a banner which read "MM Mani who insulted womanhood should resign".
However, Law Minister P Rajeeve said what Mani had meant was that the ruling CPI(M) had no role in the murder of Rema's husband TP Chandrasekharan, a rebel leader. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesaan reiterated that Mani's statement was "anti-woman" and it was surprising to see that the ruling benches including the Chief Minister had justified him. When Speaker MB Rajesh tried to commence the question hour, the opposition members continued their protests forcing him to adjourn the House for the day.
The UDF members later walked out of the House and staged a sit-in at the portal of the hall before marching out of the Assembly complex.
Meanwhile, KK Rema has said that the party still holds a grudge against her husband “even after killing him”. Speaking to mediapersons, she said that she expected them to apologise “but they have proved that they neither conscience nor compassion”.
(With PTI inputs)