Tension prevailed in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office at Palayam after a tiff between Deputy Mayor P.K. Raju and the councillors of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spilled outside the council hall too. The BJP councillors took umbrage to some remarks made by Mr. Raju during the general discussions of the Corporation’s Budget for the financial year 2024–25.
The Deputy Mayor had during the Budget presentation earlier this week lashed out at the BJP councillors, accusing them of being intolerant to even a mention about the Constitution, a picture of which occupies the cover page of the Budget document. He reiterated his criticism of the BJP’s stand, and remarked that the BJP councillors, except a senior councillor, were a blot on democracy.
The BJP councillors demanded him to apologise for the remarks, but Mr. Raju refused. After a heated exchange, the BJP councillors walked out. Meanwhile, the councillors of the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) also boycotted the meeting following an exchange with Mr. Raju over certain Budget allocations.
As the Deputy Mayor was leaving the office after the meeting, the BJP councillors blocked his car and demanded an apology from him. Soon, Mayor Arya Rajendran as well as Left Democratic Front (LDF) councillors arrived at the spot to make way for the Deputy Mayor’s car, leading to a stand-off between the councillors from both sides.
