Published Oct 13, 2026 | 2:42 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 13, 2026 | 2:43 PM
V Joy, MLA, displayed a fibre baton with a broken black handle in the House while seeking leave to move an adjournment motion.
Synopsis: Keralam Assembly Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has ruled that bringing and displaying even a broken piece of a fibre lathi in the House amounts to improper conduct. The ruling followed V Joy, MLA, displaying a fibre baton with a broken handle while seeking leave to move an adjournment motion. Citing previous rulings and the members’ code of conduct, the Speaker said weapons and other prohibited items could not be brought into or displayed in the House.
Bringing and displaying even a broken piece of a fibre lathi inside the Keralam Legislative Assembly constitutes improper conduct, Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan ruled on Tuesday, 13 October, a day after V Joy, MLA, displayed a fibre baton with a broken black handle in the House while seeking leave to move an adjournment motion.
Acting on the Chair’s instruction, Joy handed over the object to the Watch and Ward staff.
The question of whether such objects could be displayed in the House was subsequently raised, prompting the Speaker to announce that he would issue a ruling on Tuesday.
Referring to Assembly records, the Speaker noted that the House had previously condemned members for displaying two bottles of beer during a debate on a Bill and a packet of cannabis during a discussion on a cannabis seizure.
Previous rulings had made it clear that impermissible substances should not be brought into the House.
The Speaker also cited a ruling issued on July 8, 2005, which declared the display of explosive devices, including grenades, in the Assembly entirely unacceptable.
The ruling prohibited the display of explosives, lethal weapons and other banned items and, under Direction No. 20, barred such objects from being brought into the House.
The parliamentary reference work Shakdher and Kaul also states that displaying or producing objects in the House to create dramatic scenes is improper, the Speaker pointed out.
Under Rule 3 (XI) of the Code of Conduct for members, bringing or displaying weapons inside the House is prohibited. Even walking sticks are not permitted unless required for health reasons.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
