Kerala Assembly: UDF walks out after Speaker denies adjournment motion on police officers’ transfer row

Kerala Assembly Speaker A.N. Shamseer (file)
| Photo Credit: S. MAHINSHA

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) staged a walkout in the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday (March 19, 2025) after Speaker A.N. Shamseer denied permission to move an adjournment motion regarding the transfer of two police officers of the Thalassery police station following the controversy surrounding the arrest of Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] workers involved in an alleged attack on police personnel during the Manolikkavu temple festival.

Rejecting the motion, the Speaker said that “only matters of urgent public importance” can be taken up under the Rule 50 for moving adjournment motion. He said that such matters can be allowed only as a submission.

Satheesan slams Speaker

Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, who rejected the offer to raise the issue as a submission, accused the Speaker of not allowing discussions on issues in which “the government has no answers.”

Congress legislator Sunny Joseph had moved the notice for adjournment motion over the alleged attack on the police officers and their transfer, which he said affected the morale of the entire police department.

Later, speaking to presspersons, Mr. Satheesan said that the Opposition had decided to move the motion under Rule 50 as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan “evaded any answer” on the issue during the discussion on demand for grants of the Home department on Monday.

“Although three UDF members had raised the issue during the discussions, the Chief Minister did not mention it in his reply. The Speaker rejected the motion as the government is on the defensive in the issue and does not have a proper response to make. The government, through this action of transferring the police officers who were victims of the attack, is providing political patronage to criminals affiliated to the CPI(M). The CPI(M) workers had attacked the police officers, threatened to transfer them and forcibly freed from police custody a person who was arrested during the violence,” alleged Mr. Satheesan.

He said the government’s action is “meant to give a larger message” to the police force to not take any action against party members involved in criminal activities. The government should withdraw the transfer order and support the police officers, he added.