Kerala: War of words between Pinarayi Vijayan, LoP Satheesan in Assembly

The Kerala Assembly, on Monday, witnessed a fiery exchange between chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and leader of the Opposition (LoP) V.D. Satheesan, leading to the early adjournment of the house amid chaotic scenes.

The confrontation began when Vijayan referred to Satheesan as a "sub-standard person”, to which Satheesan responded by calling the chief minister “corrupt”. Satheesan also directed criticism at Speaker A.M. Shamseer, accusing him of being immature and biased towards the government.

The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) members, frustrated by these remarks, attempted to approach the speaker's dais, shouting slogans and raising banners, which led to further disruption on the first functional day of the 12th session of the Assembly.

In the midst of the disorder, Shamseer rushed through the proceedings and adjourned the house for the day, amidst loud anti-Vijayan slogans from UDF members. However, despite the uproar, the chief minister managed to score a political victory.

Catching the UDF off guard, he readily agreed to an adjournment motion proposed by the Opposition to discuss his controversial comments to a national daily about Malappuram's gold smuggling and hawala links. By allowing the motion, Vijayan effectively suspended the day’s agenda for a detailed debate on the Malappuram issue — a move that left the UDF unprepared.

The UDF had anticipated that the speaker would block the adjournment motion, giving them a chance to disrupt proceedings and force an adjournment while blaming the government. Contrary to their expectations, the speaker allowed the motion and set 12 noon for a three-hour debate, giving the UDF the chance to challenge the chief minister.

The chaos escalated during question time, when Opposition members moved to the well of the house, protesting 49 of their ‘starred’ questions being downgraded to ‘unstarred’ ones — questions that only require written replies rather than being addressed on the floor. These questions touched on several controversial issues, including the alleged sabotage of the Thrissur Pooram festival, an IPS officer’s meeting with RSS leaders, and Vijayan’s controversial remarks on gold smuggling in Malappuram.

Satheesan was further provoked when Shamseer asked if the Opposition MLAs shouting in the well were the leaders of the Opposition. Satheesan condemned this as an insult to the speaker’s office, accusing him of immaturity and bias. He subsequently called for a boycott of question time. In response, Vijayan criticised Satheesan, calling him a “substandard LoP” and condemning his comments about the speaker. The speaker then ruled that Satheesan’s remarks would be expunged from the official records.

Later, during zero hour, the Opposition returned, and Satheesan once again criticised Vijayan. “I pray daily to God that I never become a corrupt person like Vijayan,” he declared, demanding that the chief minister’s remarks be struck from the record. Vijayan responded, asserting that the people of Kerala would not believe such accusations of corruption against him.

As the speaker attempted to continue with the day’s agenda, opposition MLAs again stormed the well, shouting slogans and attempting to approach the speaker’s dais. Security personnel had to intervene, forming a cordon to prevent members from reaching the speaker.

Opposition MLAs Mathew Kuzhalnadan and I.C. Balakrishnan attempted to jump over the dais fence and had to be physically restrained. The situation intensified as ruling party MLAs also entered the fray. Amid the chaos, the Speaker was forced to adjourn the house for the day.

The day's events culminated in personal attacks between Vijayan and Satheesan. After the Opposition had walked out, state minister for local self-governments and excise M.B. Rajesh took a swipe at Satheesan, calling him the “most substandard Opposition Leader in Kerala's history”. Not to be outdone, Vijayan echoed Rajesh's words, stating that Satheesan had “plumbed new depths” with his remarks.

Upon his return to the house, Satheesan hit back. “The chief minister made disparaging remarks about me in my absence. He called me a substandard person,” Satheesan said. Addressing Vijayan directly, he added, “I would have been disappointed if you had said anything good about me. I pray every day, and one of my prayers is that I never become corrupt and substandard like you.”

Rattled by the response, Vijayan countered, telling the speaker that Satheesan had once again proved his “inferior standard”. He added, “The people of Kerala know who Pinarayi Vijayan is and who V.D. Satheesan is. No one will believe you if you say Pinarayi Vijayan is corrupt.”

Later, law minister P. Rajeev claimed that the Opposition deliberately created the disruption to avoid the adjournment motion debate, which could have further exposed what he called the Opposition’s “misleading” campaign regarding the chief minister’s remarks on Malappuram. The chief minister’s decision to allow the discussion, though risky, ensured that he would have the last word, shifting the advantage in his favour.