Summary:
Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 26 (PTI) The Kerala Assembly on Tuesday witnessed heated arguments and protests as the opposition UDF raised the issue of a ruling CPI(M) leader putting up his grand child for adoption without the knowledge of his daughter, terming it as one of the most heinous "honour crimes" reported in the state.
Hitting hard at the Left government, the Congress-led opposition alleged that the top leaders of the Marxist party and the entire government machinery were complicit in the crime and demanded a judicial probe into the incident.They also questioned the present claim of the CPI(M) leadership that their stand was to get the mother her baby back.It was interesting to note that Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP) leader and Vadakara legislator K K Rema, an arch critic of the CPI(M) and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, sought notice for the adjournment motion on behalf of the opposition.
In her hard-hitting speech, Rema alleged that the police and the State Council for Child Welfare, who should have acted in accordance with the law, had committed serious lapses in the case under the influence of the complainant Anupama S Chandran"s father, a local committee member of the CPI(M).
Vijayan, who holds the home portfolio, could stand only with his head down in front of the mothers and children of the state, she said."Anupama and her child are the victims of one of the most heinous honour crimes Kerala has ever witnessed....It was as an honour crime executed collectively by the entire state machinery," she said.Not just to Anupama, but they have shown cruelty also to the couple which adopted the child without knowing all the background, she said."It was a shock to know that all the government system were in complicit in the crime along with the family.
The child welfare committee should be dissolved and a judicial probe should be conducted into the incident," Rema said.Meanwhile, the opposition members trooped to the well of the House and protested alleging that Speaker M B Rajesh did not gave enough time for the woman leader to complete her speech.
Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan said though the actions of the state-run Council was "mysterious" in connection with the incident, the government was trying to whitewash their crimes and protect them instead of punishing the wrongdoers.