Opposition demands suspension of ACP

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Nirmal Madhav controversy and the related police firing in Kozhikode rocked the Assembly on Tuesday with the Opposition disrupting procedures demanding the suspension of Assistant Commissioner Radhakrishna Pillai.The Opposition stormed the Well of the House and staged a sit-in after Speaker G Karthikeyan refused an adjournment motion on the issue. By 10.30 a.m., the Speaker rushed through the day’s business and adjourned the House for the day.However, the Opposition continued the sit-in and left the House only after the Speaker’s request.Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan demanded a judicial investigation into the admission given to Nirmal Madhav at the Government Engineering College, West Hill. “Assistant Commissioner Radhakrishna Pillai, who fired at the SFI activists with his service pistol, should be suspended immediately and a detailed investigation launched into Monday’s police action,” he said.The Opposition has taken the stand that it would continue its agitation, within and outside the Assembly, in the days ahead until the government acted favourably. Earlier, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the House that the police action was not something desired by the State Government. Chandy said he assumed full responsibility for the student’s admission.He, however, did not give in to the Opposition’s demand for a judicial probe and suspension of the police officer.