UDF MLAs disrupt Kerala Assembly proceedings over govt's refusal to roll back cess; House adjourned

Members of the opposition UDF on Thursday disrupted the proceedings in the Kerala Assembly over the Left government's refusal to roll back the budget proposals to levy cess on fuel and liquor sales, leading to the adjournment of the House for the day.

The ongoing session of the Assembly is scheduled to resume on February 27, Assembly sources said.

As soon as the Question Hour began in the morning, a group of UDF MLAs trooped into the well of the House raising slogans alleging that the proposals in the budget to impose social security cess on fuel and liquor sales was nothing but "tax looting" and urged the government to withdraw it at the earliest.

Holding placards and a banner, they stood in front of Speaker A N Shamseer's dias and continued sloganeering.

Though the speaker repeatedly asked them to go back to their seats, the UDF MLAs were not ready to heed and continued with their protest.

The Speaker went ahead with the Question and Answer session for 30 minutes but was forced to suspend it as the protest intensified.
Later, Shamseer hurriedly took up other businesses of the day and adjourned the House.

Leading the UDF members out of the House, Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Finance Minister K N Balagopal could not see the plight of common men and understand their feelings due to the "arrogance of power" and ego.

Satheesan urged the state government not to adopt an adamant stand on fuel price cess, claiming that the prices of petrol and diesel have put burden on the common man.

He also said the Congress-led UDF would continue their protests till the government rolls back the cess and tax proposals imposed on the people.
Earlier in the day, the UDF MLAs marched to the Assembly to attend the session as part of the protest.