The Kerala cabinet, on Thursday, has decided to hold a special Assembly session on December 31 after Governor Arif Mohammed Khan denied permission for a special Assembly session on December 23.
The special assembly session will be held to discuss the difficulties faced by the farmers and the agriculture sector and to pass a resolution against the three farm laws introduced by the Central government.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the farmers’ crisis will have a big impact on Kerala and therefore, it is necessary to hold a special assembly session. “Farmers and the agricultural sector are facing serious issues at the national level. Since Kerala is a consumer state, it depends on agriculture produce from other states. Therefore, the farmers’ protest across the country is a huge concern for us,” Vijayan said, adding that since the farmers’ protest is still on, the state is considering it as an emergency situation. “Due to the protests, the state could face problems that should be discussed in the Assembly,” he said.
All eyes are now on Governor Khan after he refused permission to hold a special Assembly on December 23. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Khan told that the government had failed to follow the procedure of 15 days’ notice period and informed Vijayan that he wasn’t satisfied by the “emergency” reason given by the government to hold the special assembly session.
Earlier, opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala wrote a letter to Vijayan, urging him to bring in a legislation to overrule the three farm laws in the Assembly after the Governor denied permission to hold a special assembly session. “As the Governor has denied permission to convene the assembly, I urge you to bring in a legislation as agriculture is a state subject,” Chennithala said, adding that like Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, the Kerala government must also bring in legislation against the farm laws. Former Kerala Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Oommen Chandy also echoed Chennithala’s statement.
