Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network –Mangaluru (DV)
Mangaluru, Mar 31: High drama unfolded inside Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) during a general meeting on Wednesday March 31, as the opposition Congress corporators staged a walkout and raised slogans against the ruling BJP.
The opposition Congress corporators walked out after mayor Premananda Shetty put off his decision in recognising A C Vinayaraj as the leader of the opposition, following a requisition letter by District Congress Committee president Harish Kumar written to Mangaluru City Corporation commissioner Akshay Sridhar urging him to select Vinayaraj as opposition party leader in the council.
Earlier, Congress corporator Abdul Rauf noted that the mayor had failed to welcome the opposition party leader before the meeting started. The mayor in response, “Congress district president Harish Kumar has written a letter to the commissioner urging him to select Vinayaraj as the opposition party leader. But, the commissioner has added the said letter to the file. Hence, I had to seek legal opinion, in which I came to know that there is provision to select opposition leader, only if the opposition has 1/3 of the majority in the council.”
Rauf said that the development of the city is possible with cooperation and if everyone was taken into confidence. “This time you are going against the tradition practiced in MCC from several years in the appointment of the opposition leader. Everything cannot go as per the rules, but, some issues should be sought out by upholding the values," he said.
BJP chief whip Sudhir Kumar said, "The Congress has broken the tradition and followed a new policy in MCC, by writing a letter to the commissioner when the mayor is the supreme authority of the corporation. The following day, Vinayaraj occupied the chamber on his own. This was a clear disregard to earlier practices and law.”
"I admit that we have committed a mistake. But, one should go by the values rather than rules. As the mayor has a special power to recognize the opposition party, he should recognize Vinayaraj as the opposition party leader and uphold the values," said former mayor and senior Congress party leader Shashidar Hegde.
Vinayraj said that unnecessary allegations were being levelled against him. “On taking up the charge, I have brought the issue to the notice of the commissioner, mayor and council secretary. Everything was done as per law. I am pained due to the unnecessary allegations. I have not occupied the opposition’s leader chair forcefully. The mayor should drop the letter from the file," he said.
As Sudhir Shetty said that as the Congress district president wrote a letter to the MCC commissioner, even the mayor needs time and after bringing the matter to the notice of BJP district president, he will initiate proper measures. Following this nominated member Radhakrishna also spoke in favour of BJP corporators.
Congress corporators who were not satisfied by the mayor's reply insisted to take an immediate decision in appointing the opposition party leader.
Following this, ruckus prevailed in the council, resulting in a walkout by Congress corporators. The corporators who went out from the council, protested outside the council and raised slogans against the BJP corporators.