CHENNAI: Political differences spilt on to the stage and took an ugly turn, resulting in a public spat between Mayor R Priya of DMK-run Chennai corporation and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar MLA, MR Pllavi of TVK, at the inauguration of the Urdu middle school buildings on Thursday.
At the inaugural ceremony of the buildings constructed at a cost of `3.24 crore in Pulianthope, Priya handed over the candle to light the kuthuvilakku to corporation joint commissioner K Karpagam, bypassing Pallavi, who was standing between the two and had reached out to receive it. Despite Karpagam telling the mayor that Pallavi be allowed to light the lamp, Priya took the candle back and handed it to the official instead.
A visibly upset Pallavi walked out of the event before officials persuaded her to return for the next inauguration — that of new buildings at the elementary school on Chinnababu Street in the same zone.
A close aide of Pallavi told TNIE the friction between the two had begun even before the lighting of the lamp. He said while cutting the ribbon, the mayor had lined up the standing committee chairperson and zonal committee chairman alongside her in the front row, preventing Pallavi from taking part.
“At the second event, the mayor extended the candle to Pallavi after lighting it but she did not want to accept it because of the way she was snubbed earlier. However, the MLA did not want to blow up the situation,” he said.
Defending her actions, the mayor told reporters Pallavi had reacted without understanding the protocol and that the action was not an insult. “After ministers and the mayor, IAS officials should be called before the MLA,” she said.
Corporation officials, however, told TNIE no such protocol exists for lighting the traditional lamp. “Sometimes even teachers or students are called to light the lamp at school events. The candle is just handed to whoever is standing next,” a senior official said.
However, even as per the standard event protocol, for seating and invite listings, MPs and MLAs come ahead of IAS officers, after the mayor, an official said.
Talking to reporters later, Pallavi asked if it is indeed true that IAS officials should follow the mayor ahead of the MLA as per protocol, why it was not followed in the second event when the mayor handed over the candle to Pallavi.