Kerala minister Saji Cheriyan's anti-Constitution comments trigger row, state assembly adjourned after UDF protest

Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan's remarks against the Constitution have resulted in protests by the BJP and Congress in various parts of the state seeking his resignation. Effigies of the minister were also burnt.

Image Courtesy - @sajicheriancpim / FB

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan triggered a political row with his remarks against the Constitution, the opposition Congress UDF on Wednesday staged protests in the state assembly demanding his resignation following which the Speaker M B Rajesh adjourned the House for the day. As soon as the House proceedings began, the opposition members trooped into the well of the House raising slogans seeking the resignation of Cheriyan. They urged the Speaker to suspend the question hour and take up the notice for their adjournment motion to discuss the issue. Though the Speaker pointed out that it was against the precedents and procedures of the House and requested them to cooperate with the question hour, the UDF members did not pay heed to his request. 

As the sloganeering continued and they were not willing to go back to their respective seats, Rajesh announced that the House was adjourned for the day following which the opposition members walked out of the House raising slogans against Cheriyan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for not seeking his resignation. 

After staging a brief sit-in protest at the portal of the hall with placards, the UDF members gathered in front of the statue of B R Ambedkar at the Assembly campus and raised slogans charging with Cheriyan 'insulting' the architect of the Indian Constitution through his harsh remarks. 

#WATCH | Kerala: Opposition MLAs protested outside the Assembly today in Thiruvananthapuram, against Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan's remarks against the Constitution.

Assembly was adjourned for the day following an uproar in the House over the minister's remarks. pic.twitter.com/vldq11e0Qj — ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2022

Shouting 'jai bhim' slogan, the greeting used by the followers of Ambedkar, they marched out of the Assembly complex. The opposition leaders, who met the media at the gate, said though they came prepared to raise the issue during the zero hour, the government tried to avoid questions being raised by the UDF against Cheriyan. They also claimed that it was "unprecedented" that the entire session was called off by the Speaker in the name of opposition protest during question hour. 

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan alleged that the CM Vijayan and the CPI(M) leadership were protecting the minister, who had insulted the Constitution and humiliated its architects. "They did not allow us to seek even the notice for the adjournment motion. We will not surrender before such an autocratic stand by the government. The opposition will continue its fight till Saji Cheriyan submits his resignation," he said. The CM should demand his resignation or he should be removed from his position, he added.

What Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan said 

Saji Cheriyan, the minister for Cultural Affairs and Fisheries, on Tuesday, landed in trouble for his remarks against the Constitution, triggering a huge political row in the state.  

In the visuals aired by the TV channels, the minister could be seen saying in a recent event that the Constitution of the country "condones exploitation" and is written in a way helping to "plunder" the people of the country, drawing sharp reaction from the opposition parties which sought his immediate removal from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF cabinet.

Later, in a statement given in the state Assembly on Tuesday afternoon, Cheriyan said news reports claiming he had criticised the Constitution at an event held at Mallappally in Pathanamthitta district were "distorted".

UDF claims ruling front avoiding discussion on Saji's comments 

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the assembly, V D Satheesan, alleged that the ruling front and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan were avoiding questions being raised by the UDF against Cheriyan. 

Speaking to reporters, Satheesan said the opposition moved a notice for an adjournment to discuss the controversial remarks by Cheriyan and when there was no response to that, they initially raised slogans from the seat and only later moved into the well of the House and protested under the Speaker's dais.

He claimed that it was some of the ruling front MLAs who first left their seats and only after that did some opposition members leave their seats. Satheesan also claimed that it was unprecedented that the entire session was called off by the Speaker.

The LoP alleged that the remarks of Cheriyan against the Constitution were similar to the views of RSS, adding that the CM should demand his resignation or he should be removed from his position.

Targeting Cheriyan for his remarks, Satheesan said they were not only an insult to the Constitution and the country, but also to Dr B R Ambedkar who headed the committee which drafted the Constitution.

Cheriyan's remarks against the Constitution have resulted in protests by the BJP and Congress in various parts of the state seeking his resignation. Effigies of the minister were also burnt. Both Congress and BJP have also forwarded complaints to the Governor's office seeking his intervention in the matter and alleging that the minister's remarks were unconstitutional and therefore, he should be removed from his post.