Kannur Mayor Suma Balakrishnan was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the district government hospital after she was allegedly assaulted by the Opposition councillors at the Kannur Corporation office on Wednesday. The ruling councillors alleged that the Mayor was locked in the office and manhandled.
The governing body had called an emergency council meeting on Wednesday. Just ahead of the meeting, Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] councillors gheraoed the Mayor at her office and closed the door to the council hall, said Standing Committee Chairman T.O. Mohan.
They were demanding that the issues raised by the pro-LDF employees, who are on a protest outside the Corporation for some days, be discussed first. The employees are protesting against the governing body’s stance that organisational work will not be allowed in the office compound.
The Opposition councillors got agitated when the Mayor refused to accept their demands, saying that the matter would be taken up after the council meeting. Soon the UDF councillors came in support of the Mayor and got into an argument with the LDF councillors.
Mr. Mohan said the Mayor was beaten, pushed down and kicked while she tried to enter the council hall. The protesters also broke the mike on the Mayor’s table, he alleged. The meeting, which was called at 11 a.m., could not be started even in the afternoon. However, the council quickly passed 71 agendas, even as the Opposition continued its protest.
Hartal call
Condemning the attack on the Mayor the UDF district committee called for a hartal in the Corporation limits from 6 a.m. to noon on Thursday. Vehicles have been excluded, said a release.
