Kerala Assembly turns into battleground, but Mani presents Budget

There was free for all today in Kerala as the opposition MLAs tried to prevent the finance minister K M Mani from presenting the budget. The CPM-led opposition clashed with the watch and ward personnel who prevented the opposition MLAs from reaching the treasury benches and prevent the finance minister from going ahead with the state budget for 2015-16.

The finance minister laid the budget on the table after receiving oral instructions from the Assembly Speaker whose dais was destroyed by the opposition MLAs. In the ensuing clashes, a few MLAs were injured and they were taken to hospital.

NDTV says that "...Outside the assembly, a massive contingent of LDF and BJP protesters raised slogans against Mr Mani and threw bottles of water at the police, who used batons, tear gas and water cannons to control the crowd. The police has deployed a 2,500-strong force outside the assembly, with multiple barricades."

The state capital Thiruvananthapuram then witnessed clashes between the protesters and the police. Buses and governmnet vehicles were burnt and the houses of MLAs were attacked allegedly by the returning protesters.