Kerala Assembly: Left govt ‘defensive’ on Hema Committee report, says Opposition

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF opposition on Friday claimed the Left government in Kerala was on the "defensive" about the incidents of sexual harassment and abuse mentioned in the Justice K Hema Committee report and that is why it was not being discussed in the state Assembly.

The opposition allegation came after Speaker A N Shamseer denied permission to a notice moved by the UDF MLAs to adjourn the House and discuss the issue of alleged lack of further probe in connection with findings in the report.

Shamseer said that permission was being denied as the issue was under the active consideration of the Kerala High Court.

Raising strong protest against the Speaker's decision, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, V D Satheesan, claimed the notice was moved as Shamseer himself had said the issue should not be raised as a question in the House and to move a submission or something else.

"It is an insult to the House if we do not discuss this issue which concerns women. We are strongly protesting against this and walking out. The government is on the defensive on this issue and that is why it is not being discussed in the House," he alleged, and the UDF staged a walkout.

The Justice K Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.

Following the allegations of sexual harassment and exploitation cropping up against several actors and directors in the wake of the report being made public, the state government on August 25 announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team to probe them.

Later, when the issue reached the Kerala High Court, it pulled up the Left government in the state saying its inaction on the Justice Hema Committee report was "alarmingly lethargic".

The court had said that the government got the report over four years ago and ought to have immediately responded and directed that the full report be handed over to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to take the requisite action in accordance with law.