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Budget presented amid ruckus in Kerala assembly

While the ruling and opposition members were exchanging blows and punching on the floor of the house, thousands of CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and BJP youth wing BJYM workers laying siege to the State Assembly on Friday, finance minister KM Mani presented the budget for the fiscal 2015-16.

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Policemen clash with opposition activists during a protest against the state government in Kerala on Friday; Kerala finance minister K M Mani presenting the state budget amid a protest in the Assembly
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While the ruling and opposition members were exchanging blows and punching on the floor of the house, thousands of CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and BJP youth wing BJYM workers laying siege to the State Assembly on Friday, finance minister KM Mani presented the budget for the fiscal 2015-16.

Opposition Leader VS Achuthanandan later told reporters that 20 opposition MLAs including two women members were injured in the clash and five of them were admitted at the hospital. Several UDF and BJYM activists, police personnel were injured in stone throwing and lathi charge. Half-a-dozen police and government vehicles were set on fire by agitators.

Nearly one month back, LDF had announced that it would not allow Mani to present the budget as he is facing the allegation that he had taken bribe from bar owners promising to renew their licence and given big relief to jewellery merchants and other rich trading communities in the last year's budget taking crores of rupees form them.

In the bar scandal, the special vigilance team which is probing the case, has registered an FIR against Mani. But Mani is not yet willing to step down and he and chief minister Oommen Chandy argue that there is evidence to prove that Mani is guilty.

It was against this background, the UDF has launched an agitation demanding resignation of Mani.

LDF MLAs led by opposition leader Achuthanandan stayed back at the Assembly after yesterday's session to prevent Mani from entering the Assembly on Friday to present the Budget.

To counter this move, Mani, Chandy, other ministers, ruling MLAS also camped at the Assembly since Thursday afternoon to enable Mani to present the budget. Meanwhile, thousands of LDF and BJYM workers flocked to the city to lay siege to Assembly on the previous night. A 5,000-strong police contingent led by five superintendents was deployed in the city.

In the morning when Speaker Sakthan Nadar tried to enter in the house, the Opposition MLAs prevented him and they smashed the speaker's dais. Cashing in on this, Mani encircled by ruling MLAs and watch and ward staff of the Assembly, entered the house and started reading a few para from the budget and announced that he was laying on the table of the house. Provoked by this opposition MLAs unleashed unprecedented attack in the house which led to clash between ruling and opposition members.

LDF has called an harthal (close down) in the State on Saturday in protest against attack on its MLA at the Assembly.

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