Oppn boycotts Question Hour over sex scandal

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 12 (UNI) The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) today staged a boycott of the Question Hour in the Kerala Assembly protesting the Speaker's denial of permission for raising the Kiliroor Sex Scandal issue in the House.

The UDF members, who turned up in the House with their mouth covered with black bands, refused to place questions when the Speaker called them to ask questions.

In the meanwhile, the Opposition voiced protests against a reply to their questions by Labour and Excise Minister P K Gurudasan, due to Question Hour boycott.

Later, the Speaker continued business after keeping away the questions raised by the Opposition.

After the Question Hour, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy clarified the protest was against the Chief Minister's 'failure' in giving proper reply to his question on whether Mr Achuthanandan would give the memorandum of Sari's (victim) parents, alleging Health Minister P K Sreemathy was the VIP who had visited her in the hospital, to the CBI.

However, Mr Achuthanandan, in his reply, clarified he had already given a reply stating all the matters would be included in the CBI probe.

Speaker K Radhakrishnan, yesterday, had rejected their demand for raising the issue in the House in the backdrop of certain allegations made against Ms Sreemathy by Sari's parents recently.

Sari, the rape victim, had died in a hospital after giving birth to a baby girl on November 13, 2004.

UNI