The Hindu 24.04.2010
Oppn. councillors held during protest at Corpn.
Special Correspondent
| They block Mayor's vehicle; demand spl. meeting to discuss Ammankulam issue |
— Photo: S.Siva Saravanan
In one voice: Councillors of Opposition parties in the Coimbatore Corporation block Mayor R. Venkatachalam's vehicle at the civic body's main office in the city on Friday.
COIMBATORE: Six out of the 21 councillors removed from the Coimbatore Corporation premises by the police during a protest, were arrested on four charges that included criminal intimidation and causing hurt.
They were P. Rajkumar, M. Natarajan, R. Prabakaran (all of them from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), K. Purushothaman (Communist Party of India), N. Thangavelu (Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and Independent member M.S. Velmurugan.
Corporation North Zone Chairman and Communist Party of India (Marxist) member C. Padmanabhan and Education Committee Chairman and CPI member R. Kalyanasundaram were among the rest 15 who were let off in the night.
The police removed the councillors from the Corporation premises following pandemonium at the Urgent Meeting of the Council over the sinking of a tenement that was being constructed at Ammankulam for slum dwellers.
They wanted a reply from Mayor R. Venkatachalam on their demand for a special meeting on the tenements issue. On not getting it, they staged a protest in the Council and later in front of the main building of the Corporation. They sat in front of the Mayor's vehicle and declared that they would give way for it only if he acceded to their demand.
The arrested councillors were charged under the following sections of the Indian Penal Code: 143 (unlawful assembly), 341 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 506 (i) (criminal intimidation) and remanded to custody.
The Council meeting was convened to approve various infrastructure development projects for the World Classical Tamil Conference. But, as soon as it began, these councillors rose to demand a special meeting of the Council to discuss the Ammankulam issue.
This was the second meeting at which the demand was made. At an earlier meeting, the councillors were told that this issue could not be discussed as it was not listed in the urgent meeting's agenda. The Corporation had maintained that the tenements at Ammankulam were being constructed by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board. Therefore, it would be inappropriate on the part of the Corporation to discuss it.
But, when the agitating councillors insisted that the Mayor should respond to their demand first, the Congress and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members wanted the meeting to be conducted. When Congress Floor Leader R.S. Thirumugham began reading a Thirukural couplet, the protesting Opposition members crowded around the Mayor's chair to press their demand. The anti-untouchability pledge was drowned in slogan shouting. But, the Congress and DMK members approved all the 12 subjects listed in the agenda.
This was the second consecutive urgent meeting of the Council to last only for five minutes, and for the same reason.
As the Mayor reached the exit, the protesting councillors stood in his way and demanded his response to their demand for a special meeting. The Congress and DMK members stepped in to enable him get out of the Council, but only after some tense moments.
The agitated councillors tried to catch up with him while he made his way to the office. But, they were stopped by the police. A few minutes later, the councillors squatted in front of the Mayor's car and declared that they would allow him to leave the Corporation only if he replied to their written request for a special meeting. After nearly an hour, a written complaint by the Mayor to the city police led to the removal of the councillors.
The Mayor alleged in the complaint that Mr. Rajkumar, Mr. Padmanabhan, Mr. Purushothaman, Mr. Velmurugan and others disrupted the reading of the anti-untouchability pledge and this amounted to an insult to the Constitution of India.
Mr. Venkatachalam accused Mr. Rajkumar of criminal intimidation and councillors M. Natarajan, R. Prabhakaran, Mr. Velmurugan and Mr. Thangavelu of attempting to assault him.
The Mayor accused these councillors of conspiring to assault him under the leadership of Mr. Rajkumar. Leader of the Opposition and DMK member V.N. Udayakumar sustained an injury while trying to prevent this, the Mayor alleged in the complaint.
