Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala assembly on Monday witnessed a fiery exchange between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and veteran Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala as they discussed the alarming rise in drug abuse and violence among the state’s youth.Pinarayi took umbrage with Chennithala’s repeated use of “Mr Chief Minister” while highlighting the government’s failure to curb drug menace and violence. When he used the term “Mr Chief Minister” for the third time, the Chief Minister got up angrily and asked; `Why is he repeatedly saying Mr Chief Minister. He is trying to divert the issue. Chennithala, however, stood firm , asserting that the term “Mr Chief Minister ” is not unparliamentary. At this stage, Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan too joined the fray. “You are the Chief Minister of Kerala. You are also the home minister. We will accuse you. We are here to read out what the government and the Chief Minister prepare for us,” he said. Why are you showing intolerance? We will hold the government accountable, he said. The heated exchange occurred during the discussion in an adjournment motion brought by Chennithala on drug abuse and violence in the state. He accused the Chief Minister of failing to take meaningful action against the drug mafia during his nine years in office. “The anti-drug operations have failed miserably, and the government is squarely responsible for this,” Chennithala said. He cited the recent brutal killing of five family members by a 23-year-old youth in Thiruvananthapuram and another incident where students brutally assaulted and murdered a 15-year-old fellow student in the Kozhikode district. “Kerala is fast becoming a hub for chemical and synthetic drug addiction among youth. Is Kerala becoming the next Columbia ? he asked. The government’s excise policy also came in for criticism for allowing the flow of liquor into the state, thereby betraying the new generation. Chennithala also accused the ruling party’s student wing, SFI of being involved in ragging brutality in many colleges and criticised the Chief Minister for failing to correct the students. By granting frequent parole to the convicts in RMP leader T P Chandrashekharan’s brutal murder in 2012, the government is sending a disturbing message to society, he said. With the ruling and opposition members making allegations and counter allegations, Speaker A N Shamsheer stepped in. “I explicitly emphasized the need for a constructive discussion from the outset. Unfortunately, the member has derailed the conversation by revisiting issues that have already been discussed extensively in this House.” Chennithala responded strongly, “The Chief Minister has no authority to dictate what I can or cannot say. I will exercise my right and express myself freely.” The Chief Minister countered assertively, “You must adhere to the topic at hand and refrain from using this opportunity to espouse irrelevant views. Your statements are devoid of substance.” he said.
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