Keralam Assembly Speaker rules against bringing fibre lathi into House

Keralam Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan ruled on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) that bringing in and displaying objects such as a fibre lathi in the House is not a proper course of action.

The ruling by the Speaker came after Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] MLA V. Joy displayed a broken fibre police lathi inside the Assembly on Monday while seeking leave to move an adjournment motion regarding the police actions against Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists in Thiruvananthapuram.

As directed by the Chair, Mr. Joy handed over the broken lathi to the watch and ward staff. However, the incident had triggered the question about the propriety of bringing such objects into the House.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said that on examining Assembly records, it was seen that on one occasion, a member had displayed two bottles of beer in the House during the discussion of a Bill. On another occasion, a member displayed a packet of cannabis during a discussion on cannabis seizures. The House had condemned the actions of those members and a ruling was given that prohibited substances should not be brought into the House.

The Speaker also brought up a ruling given on July 8, 2025 that displaying explosives such as grenades in the House was in no way an acceptable act, and that explosives, deadly weapons, and other prohibited items must not be displayed in the House.

He stated that under Rule 3 (XI) of the Code of Conduct for Members of the House, weapons may not be brought into or displayed in the House.

Even a walking stick may not be brought into the House except for health reasons, he pointed out.