The Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) walked out of the Kerala Legislative Assembly after Speaker A.N. Shamseer rejected their adjournment motion. The motion was about granting parole to a CPI(M) councillor serving a 20-year sentence for trying to kill police officers by throwing a bomb. The Speaker said the issue was not urgent enough to pause House proceedings. He suggested the Opposition raise it as a submission instead. This led to protests. Opposition members gathered in the well of the House, holding placards and shouting slogans. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said, "The issue that we raised involves granting parole to someone convicted for 20 years in a serious crime and the person indulging in criminal activity when he is out on parole. If such an issue does not have an urgency, why is the Assembly even being convened? Will no discussion be allowed on issues that the government finds itself in an inconvenient position?" Local Self-Government Minister M.B. Rajesh responded by accusing the Opposition of raising non-issues due to lack of topics. He said, "The parole in this case was allowed on January 8, 2026. The House met for 4-5 days after that. If this issue was urgent, the Opposition would have raised it long ago. On January 22, the Opposition did not give notice for adjournment motion." Rajesh further accused the UDF of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to divert public anger over Kerala's Union Budget demands. "Today, the entire State is discussing the cruel attitude of the Union government towards Kerala. The people have realised that what we have been saying all along was true and the claims of the UDF and the BJP were lies. Now, the UDF is raising this non-issue to deflect public anger from the BJP," he said. Despite continued slogans and protests by Opposition members in the House well, submissions and calling attention motions moved forward. After nearly an hour of sloganeering, UDF members staged a walkout. Published - February 02, 2026 05:08 pm IST