The Pathanamthitta municipal council meet held at the council hall here ended in a chaos following the Opposition Left Democratic Front alleging move to divert attention by the ruling United Democratic Front by including as many as nine items other than the main issue concerning the proposed Sabarimala base camp.
A clash between two groups of civic body members have also reported from the municipal council hall in the forenoon.
The issue began when the LDF councillor, and former civic body chief, Zakir Hussein, protested against inclusion of nine items in the agenda at the special council meet convened on the request of the opposition to discuss the proposed Sabarimala base camp project. The municipal chairman, A.Sureshkumar, rejected the LDf demand for a special council exclusively for discussing the Sabarimala base camp issue.
UDF alleged that its woman member, Sugandha Sukumaran, was assaulted by the LDF members and she was admitted to the General Hospital, later.
The LDF alleged that their members, Bindu Ajayan, Ponnamam Sasi, P.K.Aneesh and R.Sabu, were attacked by the UDF councillors inside the council hall.
Mr Hussein alleged that the municipal chairman’s claim that Rs 11.5 crore has been sanctioned for the proposed base camp project from the Sabarimala Master Plan fund was nothing but a humbug.
The agitated LDF members, led by Mr Hussein, have laid siege to the civic body chief’s office.
LDF and UDF councillors and their supporters clashed when the marches led by the two groups came face to face near the Juma Masjid junction on the TK Road, later, in the afternoon.
Workers of the LDF and Democratic Youth Federation of India stage a road blockade in the town for about 45 minutes till the police party led by DySP, Reghuvaran Nair, reached the spot and arrested Mr Hussein and protesters. A strong police force have been deployed in the town following the tense situation.
Mr Hussein said LDF workers would stage a protest march to the municipality on Thursday forenoon.
Civic body chief flays LDF
Meanwhile, Mr Sureshkumar termed the LDF act anti-democratic. He has condemned the attack on the UDF councillor as well as he chaos created by the LDF councillors inside the council hall.
