A meeting of the Kochi Corporation Council held on Thursday had to be dismissed prematurely after Congress councillors raised a din demanding the resignation of Mayor M. Anilkumar citing the High Court’s criticism of the poor state of roads and footpaths in the city.
The Opposition councillors entered the council holding placards and shouting slogans demanding that the Mayor step down. The Mayor’s request to avoid protests disrupting the conduct of the council meet went unheeded. Subsequently, the Mayor declared the meeting as dismissed and left his chair.
Later, at a press conference, Mr. Anilkumar alleged that the disruption of the council meeting was a drama scripted by the United Democratic Front (UDF) to cover up allegations of land scam against Opposition leader Antony Kureethara. “The council was scheduled in a way to hold a debate one day and take the agenda the next day to discuss development matters of the city. The Opposition could have raised the issue on Wednesday that was reserved for debate. Not to do that and then demand to take it up on Thursday reserved for agenda is unacceptable,” said Mr. Anilkumar.
He added that the court had raised such issues even in the past. No protests demanding the resignation of the Mayor were held then. Mr. Anilkumar dubbed the Opposition protest as a tit-for-tat response to the ruling councillors demanding the resignation of the Opposition leader on Wednesday. He went on to claim that the High Court’s criticism was not against the Mayor.
On their part, the Opposition councillors staged a protest in front of the Corporation office against the Mayor’s alleged walkout from the council meeting without permitting a discussion on the pitiable state of roads, drainages, and street lights in the city.
At a time when people residing near backwaters are reeling from high tide, not even the Corporation’s pumps are working. The UDF councillors’ demand to discuss the sorry state of major city roads like Stadium Link Road, Chittoor Road, and M.G. Road was not conceded by the Mayor, they alleged.
They said that only projects being undertaken by Cochin Smart Mission Limited were being implemented in the city. Inaugurating the protest, Mr. Kureethara dubbed the Mayor’s decision not to discuss the pitiable state of roads and drains in the city as “anti-democratic”.
Published – November 22, 2024 01:56 am IST