"Tight slap" on Kerala's CPI(M) govt, says Union Minister Murleedharan on SC dismissal of Assembly ruckus

Union Minister of State for External and Parliamentary affairs, V Muraleedharan on Wednesday said the Supreme Court's dismissal of appeals by Kerala government and ruling Left Democratic Front to withdraw criminal case against their leaders in the 2015 Assembly Ruckus case was "a tight slap" on the state government which had "shamelessly defended those who carried out vandalism in Assembly."

"Shameful that Communists normalize obstruction of debates at legislatures & hooliganism. The way @vijayanpinarayi Govt defended the case, equating violence with freedom of speech exposed the disrespect Communists have for Law, Institutions & the Constitution of India," Murleedharan tweeted.

"This is a tight slap on @CPIMKerala Govt that shamelessly defended those who carried out vandalism in Assembly," he said.

The union minister also said that the state government should sack the education minister V Sivankutty who is among six persons who have been ordered to face a trial by the Supreme Court in the case.

"Kerala Cannot afford to have an accused, who brought disrepute to State Legislature by indulging in destruction of property as its Education Minister," Muraleedharan said.

A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Chandrahud and comprising Justice M R Shah in its judgement said that "there is no immunity/privilege that protects legislators from criminal law."

"There is no merit in the Kerala government's appeal, and the appeal stands dismissed," Justice Dr Dhananjaya Chandrachud, leading the bench of the Supreme Court, said.

The top court added that the destruction of public property cannot be associated with the freedom of speech or with any forms of protest whatsoever that are available to the members of the opposition.

The Supreme Court had heard in a detailed manner the arguments and submissions from the petitioner and respondent. Senior lawyer and former Solicitor General (SG) Ranjeet Kumar, who appeared for the left party, had argued before the Supreme Court that the then govt was presenting the budget. There were some protests and both party members protested and a woman member was injured.

"Legislative Secretary filed an FIR against our (Left) party members," Kumar had said.

The members of the ruling party were equally at fault. It was a fight between two parties, Kumar had told the Supreme Court and sought a direction to withdraw cases against prominent CPI(M) leaders for alleged vandalism in the Kerala state Assembly in 2015.

( With inputs from ANI )