THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: High drama unfolded at the corporation council on Monday as a meeting convened amid protests by the LDF and the UDF demanding removal of KAAPA accused BJP councillor Sugathan ended in chaos, with BJP and UDF councillors clashing moments after the mayor adjourned the proceedings. The council witnessed unruly scenes after a scuffle broke out between BJP councillor Chempazhanthi Udayan and UDF parliamentary party leader K S Sabarinadhan.
Tempers flared up inside the council hall, when Sabarinadhan got hold of the council’s attendance register and levelled serious allegations against the BJP administration for manipulating the register and recording signatures later. Subsequently, education standing committee chairman Chempazhanthi Udayan approached the UDF councillors trying to snatch the register from the hands of UDF councillors leading to unruly scenes.
Women councillors of both the BJP and UDF were involved. The women councillors of both the parties alleged that hot drinking water was poured on their bodies. Chempazhanthi Udayan’s shirt was also seen torn after the physical altercation and he accused Sabarinadhan of attacking him.
Verbal exchanges suddenly turned into physical altercation when Chempazhanthi Udayan attacked Sabarinadhan while trying to snatch the attendance register and minutes book from the UDF councillors. Both the UDF and the BJP accused each other of starting the scuffle, which left many UDF women councillors hurt.
The BJP councillors also alleged that the UDF councillors threw water on them. Mayor V V Rajesh alleged that the opposition disrupted the council proceedings, and termed the turn of events as unfortunate. He said that both the LDF and the UDF are trying to create violence in the council meeting. He alleged that the UDF tried to destroy the minutes register.
The LDF condemned Mayor’s action and alleged that Mayor V V Rajesh had turned the council into a house of chaos. S P Deepak said that the alleged physical assault on Opposition councillors by BJP councillors during the corporation council meeting, convened after a gap of 47 days, was an affront to democratic values.
He alleged that the assault on opposition councillor Sabarinadhan, led by the Education Standing Committee chairman, was the latest example of the BJP’s continuing politics of violence.
Meanwhile, the UDF has decided to pursue legal action alleging that the BJP councillors had physically assaulted women councillors. UDF parliamentary party leader Sabarinadhan said that a police complaint will be registered seeking action against those involved in the incident.
The UDF earlier planned to move a non-confidence motion against the BJP -led council alleging administrative paralysis.
Acting on the complaint given by two female councilors from Congress, including Palayam councilor Shirley S, the Museum police have taken a case against BJP councillors including Chempazhanthy Udayan.
Meanwhile, the BJP is also proceeding to file a complaint to the Museum police on Tuesday.