Court rejects Kerala govt's plea to withdraw case over LDF legislators' 2015 protest in Assembly

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 22 (ANI): A Kerala court has rejected the state government's plea to withdraw a case in connection with the ruckus created by Left Democratic Front (LDF) legislators inside the Kerala Assembly on March 13, 2015, during a budget speech.
The Chief Judicial Magistrate court here rejected the state government's plea in the matter.
The case pertains to a protest by the then opposition MLA's, now the ruling party, who had barged into the Speaker's podium and destroyed computers and chairs.
There are six accused in the case including the current Minister for Industries EP Jayarajan and Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel. Other legislators named as accused in the case are K Ajith, K Kunjahammad, CK Sadasivan and V Sivankutty.
Reacting to the court order, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government would abide by the court's decision. "A court will consider all sides and will make a decision in an independent manner. The government stand is that we will abide by the court's decision," he said during a press meet here.
The accused have been directed to be present before the court on October 15. The court refused to withdraw the case and the accused were booked for offences including damaging public property.
Many including social workers and Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala had joined the case and had pleaded not to withdraw the case.
The then opposition, LDF, had tried to stop the speech of Kerala Finance Minister KM Mani of the UDF government, who they alleged had taken a bribe for granting bar licences. (ANI)