Clash at Corp. council meeting, 2 injured

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, MARCH 24. The City Corporation Council today witnessed uproarious scenes as councillors representing the rival political fronts clashed with each other. Two UDF members were injured in the melee.

The trouble started when the town planning committee chairman, Mr. Palayam Rajan, was reading out a resolution seeking the council's approval to install a board reading `Melarannoor Government Quarters' in the Arannoor ward. The UDF councillors opposed the move to rename the colony which was known as `Rajiv Gandhi Nagar'.

As the Thampanoor councillor, Mr. Satheesh, waved a poster accusing the CPI(M) of highhandedness, the UDF benches started shouting slogans. Amid the din, the Mayor, Prof. Chandra, declared that the resolution would be put to vote. Provoked by this move, the Opposition leader, Mr. Maheswaran Nair, and his party colleague, Mr. Harikumar, jumped on to the dais and started banging on the Mayor's desk.

The LDF members who were on their feet rushed to the well of the council hall and grappled with the UDF councillors. In the scuffle, Mr. Harikumar's shirt was torn. The UDF members, Mr. Jayamohan and Mr. Satheesh, were allegedly beaten up by LDF councillors.

As the skirmish continued, the Mayor wound up the session and retreated to her chamber. The UDF members staged a dharna in the well of the council hall. They later moved out of the hall and continued the dharna outside. Mr. B. Vijayakumar, MLA, and the CMP leader, Mr. Stanley Satyanesan, arrived on the scene and convinced the UDF members to call off the sit-in.

Later, the UDF councillors proceeded to the Museum police station where they submitted a complaint against the LDF councillors, Mr. Rajasekharan Nair and Mr. B. Soman, for assaulting them. The injured UDF councillors were admitted to the General Hospital.

In a pressnote issued here, the Mayor said the UDF benches had misconstrued the resolution as a move to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Nagar. She alleged that the Opposition had come prepared for a clash in the council. Ms. Chandra said the UDF members had been repeatedly trying to disrupt the proceedings of the council including the budget sessions.

Expressing strong protest over the incident, the LDF council party alleged that the Mayor had come under attack from the UDF councillors. A pressnote issued by the LDF council party leader, Mr. K.C. Vikraman, said Mr. Harikumar had torn off his own shirt in a bid to portray himself as a victim before the presspersons. The pressnote accused the Opposition of attempting to stifle democratic debate in the council.

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