The Kerala Assembly on Friday adopted a rare resolution asking the Centre to drop the Indo-US nuclear deal, amidst uproar.
The 240-member House adopted the private resolution moved by V N Vasavan of CPI-M asking the UPA government not to go ahead with the deal, with only the ruling LDF members taking part in the voting.
In all, 79 members voted in favour of the resolution while the Congress-led UDF members abstained from voting.
Vasavan moved the resolution soon after Congress MLA Sivadasan Nair gave notice for an adjournment motion on the state government's decision to hike the bus fares, which was rejected by Speaker K Radhakrishnan.
As the Speaker asked Vasavan to move his resolution, the UDF members rushed to the well of the House and began shouting slogans and tore off copies of the anti-nuclear deal resolution.
As the cacophony continued, the Speaker asked the members from the treasury benches to conclude their speeches fast. Chief Minister V S Achuthanadnan, who wound up the debate which lasted barely 15 minutes, said the nuclear deal would seriously harm the country's interests and its signing would amount to abject surrender of India's sovereignty to 'American imperialism'.
Members from the ruling party in their speeches, accused the UDF members of enacting a farce in the House over the bus fare hike issue to help the Muslim League members to refrain from expressing their apprehensions on the nuclear deal, as the party had spoke of strong reservations about the deal.
Rushing through the day's business, the Speaker adjourned the House as both LDF and UDF members trooped out shouting slogans against each other.