The Kerala Assembly today witnessed uproar over the Munnar demolitions, with the Opposition walking out after the Speaker refused to let the House discuss the matter.The Opposition alleged that having withdrawn an earlier order to exempt constructions by political parties from demolition, the Government would try to ensure the same through the legislative route. Having ordered its officials to keep demolition teams off constructions and encroachments by political parties and religious bodies, the Government had to backtrack on Monday fearing a strong backlash, including from the judiciary. The Kerala High Court had come down heavily on the order, asserting that it was a shame and that the Government had lost its credibility.The Government move was seen as an attempt to mollify ally CPI, whose local party office had been partly demolished. It was pressed into withdrawing the order after a PIL was filed by K V Kumaran, father of the IAS officer heading the demolition efforts in Munnar, seeking that the court intervene and spike the government move. The officer, Suresh Kumar, had gone on leave after he was chided by the Cabinet for targeting the CPI office and he was quoted as saying that he would not continue in his job if he was stopped from going after “the illegally constructed” offices of both the CPI and the CPI(M).Suresh Kumar, who had left for New Delhi, returned today and will take his briefing from the Chief Minister tomorrow.Kumaran’s court petition noted that the offices of the CPI and CPI(M) were multi-storeyed structures, of which the parties used a portion and rented out the remaining space to five-star resorts. It also alleged that Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan, CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI state secretary Veliyam Bhargavan were keen to get the offices exempted from eviction proceedings.An embarrassed CPI has also done a U-turn to claim that it was not for any exemption and had not asked the Cabinet to take such a decision.Revenue Minister K P Rajendran of the CPI, overseeing the Munnar demolitions, alleged that the office of the INTUC at the hill station was also on grabbed land. To this, opposition leader Oommen Chandy responded that his party would welcome its immediate demolition if this was proved.
