It was déjà vu at the GHMC head office on Wednesday. For the second time in four days, Mayor Mohd. Majid Hussain adjourned the council meeting within minutes of condolence messages being read out.
As soon as the meeting commenced, the Mayor allowed Congress floor leader D. Rambabu to read out a condolence message for former Minister and Mayor Sarojini Pulla Reddy. He was followed by MIM floor leader Mohd. Nazeeruddin’s condolences on the deaths of former corporator (Golconda) Mohd. Ahmed and former MLA (Yakutpura) Khaja Nizamuddin.
The Mayor ignored Telugu Desam corporators’ request to pass a similar resolution on the deaths of two Indian soldiers on the Pakistan border. After a two-minute silence, Mr. Hussain announced the suspension of the meeting.
It led to TD floor leader Singireddy Srinivas Reddy and his fellow corporators holding placards of the slain soldiers and raising slogans against the Mayor. Police removed them after a while.
That no business would be conducted became apparent despite the initial announcement that the morning session was for a general body meeting and that in the afternoon for the budget.
GHMC officials, too, were sure of the meeting getting truncated and hence did not bother to organise the traditional lunch, perhaps wiser after Saturday’s hash of a meeting, when elaborate food arrangements made at a cost of more than Rs. 2 lakh went waste. Unconfirmed reports said that the MIM was awaiting the final Supreme Court order on the Langar Houze division election next week before deciding the next meeting date.
‘Uday Kumar’s oath valid’
The government on Wednesday communicated to the BJP that its candidate C. Uday Kumar’s oath taken amid the din of Saturday’s general body meeting was valid and hence he could be recognised as the Langar Houze corporator.
