The Roll On-Roll Off (RORO) service controversy has taken a political turn in Kochi corporation with the LDF planning elaborate protests against the civic administration.
The LDF councillors' laying siege to the Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain seeking an apology from her for the failure to begin the RORO service and the police action for freeing her and the Mayor's police complaint against a few LDF councillors last week have given an unusual twist to the developments. The RORO controversy has attained a political colour with political parties taking sides.
The UDF on Monday organised a protest meeting in the city against the reported attempts of the LDF councillors to manhandle the Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain.
Inaugurating the protest meeting, K. S. Radhakrishnan, former chairman of the Kerala Public Service Commission, urged the Kerala State Women's Commission to take suo motu case against the LDF councillors for outraging the modesty of the Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain.
The political parties in the LDF should train their representatives to respectfully behave with women. The unruly acts of the LDF councillors were a blot on the voters exercised their franchise in favour of them, he said.
Deputy Mayor T. J. Vinod presided over the meeting.
The LDF will take out a march to the Corporation office on Tuesday demanding measures for launching the service of the twin vessels. The Congress and the Mayor were attempting to bring in private players for operating the vessels and ease out the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), said a statement issued by P. Rajeev, the district secretary of the CPI (M).
The delay in launching the service was a challenge to the people of Kochi. The attempts to push KSINC out from operating the vessels shall not be permitted.
It was the vested interests of the Mayor and the Congress leadership that turned the matters worse, he said.
Referring to the hospitalisation of the Kochi Mayor Soumini Jain after the LDF councillors picketing her and the police forcefully removing them, Mr. Rajeev said the Mayor was attempting to divert public attention through such measures.
K. J. Antony, the LDF leader in the council, said the Opposition will give shape to widespread public protests both inside and outside the council. The democratic agitations will focus on the failure of the administration to begin the service and also the discrepancies in the construction of mooring facilities for the jankar. The Opposition had repeatedly cautioned the civic administration about the possible technical snags, which were ignored, Mr. Antony said.
Responding to the developments, Ms. Jain said she decided to seek the help of police to free herself from the siege laid down by the LDF councillors as the personal attacks against her had breached all barriers of democratic protests.
“Though on a couple of earlier occasions, the LDF councillors had personally attacked me, I didn't take serious note of it. However, it can no longer be tolerated and allowed to continue,” reasoning for filing the police complaint, Ms. Jain said.
On the RORO service, Ms. Jain said the administration was waiting to hear from the KSINC regarding the operation of vessels. They are supposed to come up with a solution in a couple of days. The council will decide on the future of the service after obtaining the views of the KSINC on the service, she said.
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