United Democratic Front MLAs walk out from the Kerala Legislative Assemby, demanding the resignation of Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan over the Sabarimala gold theft controversy, in Thiruvananthapuram, on Tuesday (February 3, 2026)
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Sabarimala gold theft row continued to roil the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (February 4, 2026) as the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) boycotted the proceedings and walked out during the Question Hour, which went ahead with just the ruling front MLAs in attendance. However, the Question Hour was disrupted during the initial half as the Opposition and ruling front MLAs hurled accusations and counter accusations at each other over Sabarimala gold theft.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said UDF would continue its boycott of the House proceedings as soon as the Question Hour began. He accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of making false claims of an Opposition MLA attacking a Watch and Ward personnel with a stick during the protests that the House witnessed on Tuesday.
“The Chief Minister had portrayed our protests as ‘tomfoolery’. He has to withdraw that remark. The Opposition will remain non-cooperative as Ministers had made insulting comments aimed at Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra,” he said.
Speaker A.N. Shamseer responded that a UDF MLA had attacked a Watch and Ward personnel with a stick used for holding up a banner. “If the Leader of the Opposition insists, I can mention the MLAs name. I am desisting from doing that so as not to cause any embarrassment for the MLA,” he said.
Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh said he had not used any insulting words against Ms. Vadra, but had only questioned the propriety of her having tea with Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon after the Viksit Bharat — Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VBGRAM(G)) Bill was passed.
Industries Minister P. Rajeeve said the LDF had raised questions on those who had facilitated the visit of two main suspects in the Sabarimala gold theft case to the heavily guarded and sparingly accessible residence of Ms. Gandhi in New Delhi.
Mr. Satheesan said that “unlike the CPI(M)”, the Congress never used the photograph of gold theft accused Unnikrishnan Potti with the Chief Minister to “insult him.”
Mr. Rajeeve said the Chief Minister’s photograph with Mr. Potti was at a public function outside the government Secretariat in 2017. The video of the programme which was shown in news channels shows that there was no interaction between the Chief Minister and the accused, he said.
Even as the heated exchanges continued, the Opposition MLAs trooped into the well of the House holding up banners and photographs of the Chief Minister and Mr. Potti at the public function. In response, the ruling party MLAs held up photographs of the two accused with Congress MPs Adoor Prakash and Anto Antony at Ms. Gandhi’s residence. After the Speaker ordered for the Question Hour to begin, the UDF MLAs staged a walkout.
LDF appeasing Centre: Satheesan
Later, Mr. Satheesan told reporters that the LDF government was “denigrating Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi in the House to appease” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre.
He accused the Speaker of acting in a partisan manner. “The Chair allowed five Ministers to speak, while not according the Opposition a right of reply,” he said.
Published – February 04, 2026 10:58 am IST
