Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Apr 2: A day after Congress leaders alleged that the BJP corporators disrespected the opposition and violated the tradition in appointing the leader of opposition (LoP) in the council, chief whip Sudhir Shetty Kannur said that Congress has broken the tradition by writing a letter to the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) commissioner to accord position of LoP to corporator A C Vinayaraj.

Addressing a press meet here at a private hotel on Friday April 2, Sudhir said, "In MCC, there was a tradition where opposition corporators used to bring to the notice of the mayor the position of LoP. But, this time, breaking the tradition, the district Congress committee president, has written a letter to the MCC commissioner urging him to appoint Vinayaraj as the LoP in the council. This was not done earlier."

He said that as the letter was written to the commissioner, he has followed the rules as per Karnataka Municipalities Act and made it a file.

"Vinayaraj occupied the chamber on his own without bringing it to the notice of the mayor. This was clear disregard to the established practice and law. The mayor is a supreme authority in the council. As the district Congress president interfered in the matter, even we have to take consent of our party’s district president," Shetty said.

He also said that J R Lobo, being a former officer in the MCC, should read the Karnataka Municipalities Act. “What is Congress speaking on the selection of LoP? BJP had always given the position of LoP, but Congress disregarding it,” he said.

Responding on Mithun Rai’s threat of holding protests and all Congress corporators tendering resignation, he said, “We will welcome this move. If the Congress corporators tender their resignation, we will make the MCC Congress-free in the next elections.”

He also said that to expose corruption, one need not be LoP or corporator, even a common man can do it.