The alleged delay on the part of the Kerala government in providing replies to questions in the Assembly has been highlighted by the Opposition in connection with a question concerning the number of cases registered in connection with the entry of women to the Sabarimala temple.
The Congress has asked Speaker A.N. Shamseer to issue a directive to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to urgently provide a reply to a question raised in the House on the number of cases registered by the police with respect to the ‘women entry issue.’
Although it is a question to which the government could have very easily given a reply, the Chief Minister has not provided one to date, A.P. Anil Kumar, MLA, secretary of the Congress Parliamentary Party, said in a December 6 letter to Mr. Shamseer.
The unstarred question numbered 78 was asked on September 16, 2025. Mr. Anil Kumar had asked, “how many cases were registered in connection with the incidents, how many of the cases registered were withdrawn and how many remained to be withdrawn, how many of the cases were referred to the courts, and the reasons for not withdrawing the cases.”
In his letter to the Speaker, Mr. Anil Kumar observed that the failure to provide a reply even after months went against the spirit of Rule 47 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Kerala Assembly. Rule 47 deals with the period within which answers are to be provided to questions. “It is to be viewed with utmost seriousness that, despite several rulings by the Chair, the tendency not to give timely replies to questions in the Assembly is being repeated during the current government’s term,” Mr. Anil Kumar said.
Published – December 06, 2025 07:26 pm IST
