Thiruvananthapuram Leader of Opposition in the state assembly, VD Satheesan, on Thursday said Parliamentary Affairs Minister MB Rajesh was trying to regulate it by acting as Speaker.
Rajesh, on the other hand, said that he was only criticizing the way the opposition leader was behaving in the House and Satheesan was free to accept it or ignore it.
After the opposition UDF staged a strike protesting the denial of permission to a postponement notice filed by it, Rajesh, in the absence of the LoP, said Satheesan never gave in to the ministers and used "pressure tactics" in the Camera, even against the speaker.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that the LoP often makes unfounded statements in his speeches and when ministers want to clarify, he does not budge.
He also said that Satheesan abuses the respect shown to him by the LDF in the House.
Rajesh said he regrets making the criticism in the absence of the opposition leader.
Returning to his seat after the organized strike, Satheesan called the minister's comments "unfortunate".
He said Rajesh accused him of speaking inappropriately against state Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Thursday and Kerala Health Minister Veena George a day ago in the House.
Satheesan urged the Speaker to examine what he had said and if there was anything inappropriate in it, the same can be removed, or he himself would remove it.
The opposition leader further claimed that Rajesh called him "arrogant, dismissive and contemptuous" and responded to the minister by saying that those qualities are displayed by someone else in the LDF.
"You (CPI-M) are currently holding discussions on who displays those qualities," Satheesan said in a veiled reference to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Satheesan further alleged that Rajesh had been attacking him ever since the opposition leveled corruption allegations against the Excise department in connection with the liquor policy.
Rajesh is also the Excise Minister of the state.
Bindu, for her part, said the opposition leader singled her out and called her insolent.
Satheesan denied calling her insolent, but said he would point the finger at her when she criticized her actions as a minister.
Intervening in the discussion, spokesperson A N Shamseer said, "The gestures of both sides irritate both sides. Both sides should be careful about it."
Rajesh, on the other hand, said that he was only criticizing the way the opposition leader was behaving in the House and Satheesan was free to accept it or ignore it.
After the opposition UDF staged a strike protesting the denial of permission to a postponement notice filed by it, Rajesh, in the absence of the LoP, said Satheesan never gave in to the ministers and used "pressure tactics" in the Camera, even against the speaker.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that the LoP often makes unfounded statements in his speeches and when ministers want to clarify, he does not budge.
He also said that Satheesan abuses the respect shown to him by the LDF in the House.
Rajesh said he regrets making the criticism in the absence of the opposition leader.
Returning to his seat after the organized strike, Satheesan called the minister's comments "unfortunate".
He said Rajesh accused him of speaking inappropriately against state Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Thursday and Kerala Health Minister Veena George a day ago in the House.
Satheesan urged the Speaker to examine what he had said and if there was anything inappropriate in it, the same can be removed, or he himself would remove it.
The opposition leader further claimed that Rajesh called him "arrogant, dismissive and contemptuous" and responded to the minister by saying that those qualities are displayed by someone else in the LDF.
"You (CPI-M) are currently holding discussions on who displays those qualities," Satheesan said in a veiled reference to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Satheesan further alleged that Rajesh had been attacking him ever since the opposition leveled corruption allegations against the Excise department in connection with the liquor policy.
Rajesh is also the Excise Minister of the state.
Bindu, for her part, said the opposition leader singled her out and called her insolent.
Satheesan denied calling her insolent, but said he would point the finger at her when she criticized her actions as a minister.
Intervening in the discussion, spokesperson A N Shamseer said, "The gestures of both sides irritate both sides. Both sides should be careful about it."
