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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 8 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday finally broke his silence on the Sabarimala gold plating controversy, terming the opposition’s protest in the Assembly as “extreme”, while praising the Speaker for his handling of the situation.
Speaking for the first time on the issue, CM Vijayan said the Assembly has seen many types of protests, but the Speaker covering his face was unprecedented.
“I appreciate the efforts of the Speaker to maintain consensus. During discussions with party leaders, the treasury bench participated to ensure dialogue,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that when the Speaker’s office tried to establish coordination, it became clear that the opposition was not cooperating.
He stressed that any legitimate requests of the opposition will be considered and the government is ready to respond on all factual issues.
Directly addressing the gold plating controversy, CM Vijayan accused the opposition of spreading fear and diverting attention.
He said, “The government has nothing to fear. High Court inspections are ongoing. We have never protected any guilty party nor will we do so. Action is taken against wrongdoers without any bias. A Special Investigation Team is probing the case. Strict action will be taken.”
The Chief Minister also criticized the manner of protest in the House.
He said, “A respected opposition member was even seen ready to jump on the bench to disrupt the proceedings. Watch and ward employees are human beings; why protest against those who are silently performing their duties? Some protests were even directed at women MLAs. Such behavior is completely unacceptable.”
There were massive protests in the Assembly for the third consecutive day, forcing the Speaker to temporarily adjourn the proceedings before the House resumed after a short break.
The gold plating controversy continues to dominate both legislative and public discussion, with tensions running high between the government and the opposition. Now, with the Assembly session ending on Thursday, the opposition has already announced that they are launching statewide protests demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan.
–IANS
SG/DPB