Karnataka - Mangalore   

Chaos marks meeting of Corporation Council

Special Correspondent

Row was over seats for expelled Congress councillors Row was over seats for expelled Congress councillors

STAYING GUARD: BJP councillors Venkatesh Achar and Mariyamma Thomas shielding expelled Congress councillor James D'Souza from being physically removed by marshals.

MANGALORE: It was pandemonium at the Mangalore City Corporation Council meeting on Wednesday. Councillors stalled the proceedings by shouting at the top of their voices. They walked up to the centre of the council hall and staged a dharna.

The row was over the seating arrangement for two expelled Congress councillors, James D'Souza and Kavita Sanil. The same issue dominated the last council meeting on November 16.

Even before the meeting began, the former Mayor Purandardas Kulur found that Ms. Sanil had occupied his seat. After a brief exchange of words with Ms. Sanil, Mr. Kulur stood in the middle of the hall and appealed to the officials to give him the seat. The officials failed to convince Ms. Sanil to move to her seat.

Mayor Vijaya Arun then made an observation that both expelled members of the ruling party should be seated away from the ruling party benches. But both Ms. Sanil and Mr. D'Souza defied her appeal, which led to the chaos.

Members of the Opposition supported Ms. Sanil and Mr. D'Souza. When the Mayor called in the marshals to physically lift Mr. D'Souza out of the hall, BJP members led by Mariyamma Thomas shielded Mr. D'Souza and prevented them from carrying him out. This triggered a verbal duel between the members of the BJP and the Congress.

The BJP councillors rushed to the Mayor's table and had an argument with her stating that there was no rule that expelled members of the ruling party should be thrown out of the council for defying the Mayor's orders. But the Congress party members argued on the contrary.

The Mayor then adjourned the meeting without setting a date for the next meeting.

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