Laddu distribution violated rules of the House: Speaker

Kottayam: Assembly Speaker N Sakthan Wednesday described as "wrong" the laddu distribution by UDF MLAs after Budget presentation by Finance Minister K M Mani in the state legislature last week, saying it violated the rules of the House.

Laddus were distributed in the Assembly on March 13 when Mani presented the Budget amid protests by LDF Opposition, which demanded his resignation and insisted he not present it.

The Speaker said in Changanassery, near here, that the UDF legislators, who distributed laddus in the Assembly, violated the rules of the House.

Sakthan had earlier said he had not seen anyone distributing laddus.

This had prompted the CPI-M-led opposition, whose five MLAs were suspended from the Assembly for allegedly ransacking the Speaker's podium on budget day, to allege that the Speaker was taking a partisan approach in the House on the incidents that occurred that day.

Talking to reporters after meeting NSS General Secretary G Sukumaran Nair, the Speaker said distribution of laddus in the Assembly was done after presentation of the Budget and he was not aware of it. Later, it came to the fore that the UDF MLAs had distributed the laddus.

The Speaker said he would warn the legislators who distributed laddus in the Assembly where food articles are prohibited.

The House witnessed unprecedented violence last Friday with LDF members going on a rampage while trying to prevent Mani from presenting the Budget and damaging the Speaker's podium and chair among others.

Acting on a complaint from the Assembly secretary, police have filed cases against five LDF MLAs in connection with destruction caused during the incidents.