Kerala house adjourned over murder controversy

Thiruvananthapuram, June 13 (IANS) The Kerala assembly was disrupted again Wednesday as opposition Left legislators harped on their demand that Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) legislator P.K. Basheer be arrested after he was named in a twin murder case.

Opposition legislators squatted near Speaker G. Karthikeyan's podium demanding that Basheer, a first time legislator, be arrested immediately. They also held up a black banner.

The question hour was completed in the din and the speaker agreed to allow Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to speak, but only after the members returned to their seats.

The request fell on deaf ears and Karthikeyan rushed through the listed business before adjourning the house for the day.

"It's against the principles of parliamentary democracy to pass bills without any discussion. Also the language used in the slogans has to be toned down. The chair is impartial and does not take any sides. What is happening now is not good," the speaker said.

Basheer has been named in the killing of brothers Azad and Abubacker in Malappuram district Sunday night. The brothers' family members had said Basheer was part of a conspiracy behind the murders.

Basheer had said in a speech earlier this month that the IUML would hit back at those who had killed A. Rehman, an IUML activist, after a clash at a football tournament in Malappuram in January.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told reporters that it was not possible to arrest someone just because his name appeared in the first information report (FIR).

However, senior CPI-M legislator Elamaram Kareem said the need of the hour was to take the law of the land forward by arresting Basheer.