Kerala Assembly Sees Rare Incidents of Banned Items Being Brought In

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Beer bottles, cannabis packet, grenade shells, matchsticks, broken piece of fibre lathi... the list goes on. The Kerala Legislative Assembly has over the years witnessed rare instances of banned articles making their way into the ‘temple of democracy’. On Monday, CPM legislator V Joy brought in a broken piece of fibre lathi to the house to show the gravity of police action against students while moving the notice for an adjournment motion. Soon, as directed by the chair, he handed it over to the watch and ward. Minister Shibu Baby John pointed out that such articles should not be brought to the house. A day later, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan issued a ruling that bringing such objects into the house is not in order. In a detailed ruling, the speaker observed that the assembly had in the past witnessed instances where two bottles of beer and a packet of cannabis were brought in. He also cited a 2005 ruling against bringing explosive devices like grenades to the house. And in a seemingly self-critical manner, the veteran leader quipped that he too, while being part of the opposition, had brought such substances to the house, triggering laughter among both treasury and opposition benches. Thiruvanchoor expressed regret over such acts in the past, while exhorting members to stay away from such moves. However, many were unaware that the remarks hid more than what met the eye. Who brought the beer bottles to the house? Thiruvanchoor himself! “It was sometime in 1999. T Sivadasa Menon was the finance minister. The alcoholic content in beer was supposed to be less than 9%. The debate was about a brand called Kalapani. The minister said it had less than the allowed limit. I contended that it was more than double. I displayed the bottles which had 15% alcohol,” Thiruvanchoor told TNIE.