HUBBALLI: Mayor D K Chavan was “humiliated” again at the airport here on Thursday. He was allegedly denied entry into the airport tarmac to receive Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who landed in the city on his way to Haveri to attend some programmes.
According to the protocol, the mayor, who is also the first citizen of the city, has to receive the VIPs. But, he was allegedly not allowed to enter the airport.
Chavan alleged that Police Commissioner Pandurang Rane and Deputy Commissioner S B Bommanhalli did not allow him to go inside the airport.
The mayor, who wandered at the airport lounge following denial of entry, went to the media persons, who were waiting outside the lounge for the arrival of the chief ministers, and expressed his dissatisfaction.
He said: “Both the officers did not allow me to greet the Chief Minister according to the protocol. The Congress workers were allowed and the mayor was not allowed. The officials are working according to the direction of District Minister Vinay Kulkarni. I will write a letter to the government condemning the incident. This is the third time such an incident happened to me in the same location.”
Meanwhile, Bommanhalli said, “Because of the ongoing security audit, no one was allowed to go near the tarmac. Only me and the police commissioner received him (CM). Even the MLAs and MLCs were near the lounge. There was no question of humiliating the mayor. We have respect towards him .”