PALAKKAD: The BJP workers’ act of climb atop the Palakkad municipal office building and rolling down two banners — one of which read Jai Shri Ram and the other depicted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah with the slogan Vande Mataram — on Wednesday has triggered a controversy on social media.
The BJP workers rolled down the sheets in the open space above the ground floor. After the NDA secured a simple majority of 28 seats in the 52-member council, hundreds of activists assembled in saffron attire and shouted slogans like Jai Shri Ram and Jai BJP waving party flags outside the complex.
Meanwhile, District Congress Committee president V K Sreekantan said the act of rolling down banners from the municipal building is an illegal act. “A case has to be registered against those involved.
The banners exhibited communal content. If the police hadn’t registered a case because of a lack of complaint, the Congress has lodged one with the district police chief on Thursday,” he said. However, BJP district president E Krishnadas sought to downplay the incident.
“The controversy is much ado about nothing. There were more than 1,500 BJP supporters outside the counting venue. If a few had sneaked to the top of the municipal building, it was without the knowledge of the leadership.
The police should have been more vigilant. As soon as the incident came to the notice of the leadership, directions were given to remove the banners. Accordingly, they were removed in a minute,” he said.
CPM files complaint
Palakkad: The CPM filed a complaint with the police in connection with the rolling down of two banners atop the Palakkad municipal building by BJP activists on counting day. The complaint stated that the municipal office building is a government complex and therefore rolling down of two banners from atop it was an unconstitutional act. T K Noushad, a former CPM MLA, in the complaint given to the Town South police station said that the act of the BJP activists was with the knowledge of Sangh Parivar leaders.
Police register case
Palakkad: The Palakkad Town South police have registered a case in connection with the issue. The case was registered based on a written complaint by secretary of Palakkad municipality, Balaraman.
Palakkad Superintendent of Police S Sujith Das has also sought a report from Special Branch DySP Krishnan in this regard. Palakkad Superintendent of Police Sujith Das told TNIE that the case has been registered under Section 153 A on the charge of promoting disharmony among two sections of people.