PALAKKAD: Tensions at the Palakkad Municipality spiralled into physical violence on Tuesday morning, after a protest over naming a civic centre after RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar turned chaotic, leaving multiple councillors injured and one in the ICU.
The disruption began around 11:15 a.m., just before the scheduled municipal council meeting. The public gallery was packed with workers from both the ruling BJP and the opposition UDF and LDF fronts.
Following a prayer and a tribute to victims of the Pahalgam attack, opposition councillors erupted in protest, alleging that the BJP unilaterally decided to name the upcoming skill development centre after Hedgewar without proper discussion or formal council approval. The move had already sparked backlash when first announced on 12 April.
Opposition members held placards that read, “Who is this Hedgewar?” and “We demand resignation of the chairperson who cheated the council”, confronting BJP councillors both inside the council hall and later outside the chairperson’s chamber.
The situation worsened when UDF and LDF councillors accused the BJP of bringing in outsiders to influence proceedings. The situation spiralled further as councillors from both sides engaged in heated exchanges and physical altercations. Municipal Chairperson Prameela Sasidharan was reportedly manhandled in the melee.
UDF Councillor Mansoor K suffered a shoulder injury, while three other councillors, Hassanuppa P.K. (Muslim League), Saleenabeevi M. (CPM), and Anupama Nair (Congress), collapsed during the ruckus. They were taken to Palakkad District Hospital, where Anupama Nair was admitted to the ICU with a head injury. Chairperson Sasidharan also later sought treatment at the same hospital.
Despite a police presence, authorities struggled to maintain order as political workers from the Youth Congress, DYFI, and BJP entered the premises in support of their respective factions. Police eventually used force to disperse the councillors who had gathered near the chairperson’s chamber.
Outside the municipal office, BJP workers staged a counter-protest, carrying placards demanding the renaming of Palakkad’s Jinnah Street. Chants of “We don’t want Jinnah, we want change” highlighted the deep ideological rift between the ruling BJP and opposition parties.
Chairperson Sasidharan, speaking to the media after the violence, remained resolute: “The agenda was passed with the required majority. The BJP governs the municipality, and we have every right to name the centre as we see fit.”
Tension eased by around 1:30 p.m., after the injured councillors were moved to the hospital and the council premises were cleared.