A serious question over a possible lapse in Keralam Legislative Assembly proceedings has emerged after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed that remarks made against its chairman, Abdul Nasr Al Madani, on the floor of the House were expunged from the official records following a memorandum submitted by its leaders to the Assembly Secretary.
According to a social media post by the PDP, its leaders approached the Assembly Secretary seeking the removal of the “anti-Madani comments” from the Assembly proceedings. The party claimed that, after examining the records, the Secretary informed them that the remarks had been expunged and that documents confirming the action would be sent to the party within two days. The PDP also released a photograph of its leaders meeting the Assembly Secretary while submitting the memorandum.
The claim has raised serious questions over Assembly procedure and the privileges of the House, particularly whether remarks made by an elected member can be expunged following a representation from an outside political party and without the matter being formally brought before the House or communicated to the MLA concerned.
Adding to the controversy, even more than 24 hours after the PDP publicly made the claim, neither the office of Assembly Speaker Tiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan nor that of the Assembly Secretary has denied or clarified it, leaving unanswered questions over whether established legislative procedures were followed.
The issue relates to a debate held in the Assembly on July 1, when the government introduced a resolution on the floor of the House against the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act). Both the UDF and the LDF voted in favour of the resolution, while the BJP opposed it.
During his speech, BJP legislature party leader B.B. Gopakumar said, “This Assembly had passed a resolution in favour of the international radical Madani; now, the Assembly comes out against a national security law.”
It was this comment that the PDP leaders, in their memorandum submitted to the Assembly Secretary, demanded be expunged from the Assembly records.
This raises an important question over the procedure governing the expungement of remarks from Assembly proceedings.
If an MLA’s speech violates the rules, the Speaker is the authority empowered to expunge the remarks. Either members of the House may demand their expungement or the Speaker may decide to do so.
In either case, the House should be informed, as should the member who made the remarks. If the records or proceedings are to be examined before a decision is taken, that too should be communicated to the House. However, in this case, the House was reportedly not informed.
Moreover, questions have been raised over whether such a demand can be entertained when it comes from an outside political party. Even if an external party makes such a representation, the question remains whether it can form the basis for expunging remarks made on the floor of the House.
If any remark was expunged from the official records following a representation or intervention by an external organisation, without following the established procedure of the House, it could raise serious questions over Assembly rules and the privileges of the House.
Against this backdrop, the PDP’s social media claim that the Assembly Secretary informed its leaders that the remarks against Madani had been expunged has further intensified the controversy. The claim raises questions over the privilege of the House and calls for an official clarification from the Speaker or the Assembly Secretary.
Who is Madani
Abdul Nasr Al Madani incepted the PDP in April 1993 and the ISS (Islamic Swayamsevak Sangh) in 1989. The ISS was banned following the demolition of the disputed structure in Ayodhya. Then he launched his new party, the PDP.
Even though he was involved in several cases in Keralam, the major case he got involved in was in connection with the series of blasts in Coimbatore, where a series of blasts took place on February 14, 1998. There were 13 blasts within a 12-km radius. Forty-six people died and more than 200 people were injured. The target was BJP leader L.K. Advani, who was supposed to reach there for the election campaign. Even the nearby hospital was shattered. Advani had a close shave as his flight from Tiruvananthapuram was delayed due to some technical reasons. Madani was arrested and jailed in Tamil Nadu for about nine years.
UDF and LDF supporting Madani
At that time, the Keralam Assembly, consisting of the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front and the opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF), joined hands on the floor and passed a unanimous resolution requesting the Jayalalita regime to release Abdul Nasr Al Madani from jail.
The then UDF convener and Congress strongman, the late Oommen Chandy (Chief Minister in later years), visited Madani in 2001 in Coimbatore jail and reportedly sought his party’s support for the ensuing Assembly elections in exchange for efforts to get him released.
In August 2007, top CPM leaders, especially the then state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan, shared the dais with Abdul Nasar Madani at a massive reception at Shankumugham Beach in Thiruvananthapuram after the latter was released.
While CPM stalwart V.S. Achuthanandan was the Chief Minister, his administration (the CPM-led LDF government) did intervene on Madani’s behalf regarding his medical treatment in Coimbatore jail, and Achuthanandan himself met with the then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to advocate for it.
In 2009, Pinarayi Vijayan, the then CPM state secretary, shared the dais with Madani in the Muslim-majority Malabar area during the Lok Sabha election campaign. Pinarayi praised Madani’s “secular” credentials during the campaign.
During the 1993 Ottappalam Lok Sabha by-election campaign, veteran CPM leader and former Chief Minister EMS Namboodiripad drew significant public attention and controversy when he equated Abdul Nassar Madani with Mahatma Gandhi.
The social media post of PDP
“PDP leaders Nadayara Jabbar, Sasikumari Varkkala, Ajeer Killi and Nagaroor Ashraff visited the Legislative Assembly Secretary, at the behest of the state committee of the party, and submitted a memorandum demanding the expungement of the BJP MLA’s wrong comments about PDP chairman Abdul Nasr Madani. The Assembly Secretary examined the Assembly procedure documents and informed them that the wrong comments had been expunged. He informed them that the expungement document would be sent to the party in a couple of days.”
This communication has been posted on social media by Shaju.
Actually, the comments made by B.B. Gopakumar are as follows: “The State Home Ministry has reported before the High Court that the flow of foreign funds was involved in the agitation against the Vizhinjam International Port. The Home Ministry’s report makes it clear that foreign funds have been pumped into agitations that took place to destabilise the state. The police report had stated that there were foreign funds behind the Marad killings (of May 2, 2003). The Central bills drafted, under these circumstances, for national security are being opposed here. The Assembly which passed a unanimous resolution in favour of the international radical Madani is now opposing a national security bill”.
Critics argue that if this is the way Assembly business is conducted, the prestige and privilege of the House will end up as mere lip service.
The controversy, therefore, demands an immediate and unambiguous clarification from either Speaker Tiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan or the Assembly Secretary. The matter cannot be allowed to remain unanswered, as it directly concerns the sanctity, credibility and privileges of the Legislative Assembly. Those holding Constitutional positions are expected to act with transparency and uphold established legislative procedures. A prompt clarification is essential to dispel doubts and preserve public confidence in the Assembly as a sacred institution of democracy.
