Thursday’s Coimbatore Corporation Council saw some angry exchanges between the councillors of ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam but before it could get out of control, Mayor P. Rajkumar intervened to solve matters for the better.
The trouble began when AIADMK councillors, in their bid to out do the other, showered praise on their party general secretary Jayalalithaa for assuming office for the fifth time as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
The Mayor had earlier passed a special resolution in this regard.
Ward 23 councillor S. Manimeghalai led the praising brigade of councillors. Ward 62 councillor Singai S. Balan followed suit.
When Ward 66 councillor and Health Committee chairperson S. Thamarai Selvi said that Ms. Jayalalithaa had overcome the obstacle created by her political opponents and referred to DMK leader M. Karunanidhi in a derogatory manner, the DMK councillors were up on their feet.
Ward 61 councillor S.M. Samy (DMK) said that while the DMK councillors had no objection to the AIADMK councillors praising their leader, they were annoyed by the unwanted reference to their party leader.
To counter him, a few AIADMK councillors were up on their feet to shout him down. That led to Mr. Samy’s colleagues also shout.
Mr. Rajkumar, realising that things were getting out of hand, asked Ms. Selvi to quickly wrap up her speech and brought the house under control.
‘While we have no objection to the AIADMK councillors praising their leader, we are annoyed by the unwanted reference to our leader’