Opposition BJP councilors tried to block the mayor and the ruling LDF councilors from reaching the council hall.
On Friday, dramatic scenes played out in the municipal council hall once again with councilors of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on an indefinite dharna over the issue of fund diversion, while attempting to block the mayor and councillors. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) was prevented from entering the hall. Despite this, the meeting proceeded under police protection and within minutes the agenda items were passed.
Before the council meeting began in the afternoon, BJP corporators, who had been staying inside the hall as part of the protest for the past several days, lay down at the entry points in an attempt to prevent the ruling party councilors from entering the hall. . . However, Mayor Arya Rajendran and the councilors managed to enter, forcing some of them to jump over the councilors lying on the ground.
sloganeering
With police personnel deployed on both sides, the mayor read out an obituary reference on actor Nedumudi Venu. The agenda items were quickly passed with some amendments proposed by the chairmen of the standing committee, even as councilors from the BJP and United Democratic Front (UDF) demanded the arrest of all accused in the fund inside the well. The sloganeering continued. the issue of misappropriation.
Welfare Standing Committee chairman S. Salim moved a resolution condemning the attempt to disrupt the council’s proceedings, while working standing committee chairman DR Anil said a complaint would be filed against the BJP councilors for indecent behavior.
separate march
After the mayor announced the meeting was over, some of the BJP councilors again tried to walk out, but were shooed away by police personnel. This was followed by a flurry of marches, with LDF councilors claiming victory for the successful conduct of the meeting, while BJP and UDF councilors took out separate marches accusing the administration of shielding the accused. The youth workers of BJP were seen shouting slogans outside the corporation office.
Speaking to reporters later, the mayor denounced attempts to disrupt proceedings, and by extension, the corporation’s functioning.
BJP District President and Councilor VV Rajesh said in a statement that the attempt to remove the protesting BJP councilors from the hall is condemnable. He said that if all the accused were not arrested, the BJP would protest till the office of the city police commissioner.
So far, three officers of circle offices have been arrested in connection with the misappropriation.
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