Another walkout in BBMP council

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) council meeting was adjourned prematurely on Thursday after BJP members staged a walkout.

This is the second such adjournment in two months. BJP councillors are seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into alleged misappropriation of funds by MLA for Rajarajeshwarinagar Munirathna.

Soon after the meeting began on Thursday, Opposition leader Padmanabha Reddy alleged that huge amounts of funds were being allocated to R.R. Nagar Assembly constituency alone and this needed to be investigated. “This constituency has received more than ₹1,000 crore. Does the development of the constituency match the funds received?” he asked.

K.R. Puram councillor K. Poornima said that despite protests by women councillors last week against the alleged harassment by Mr. Munirathna, when three councillors threatened to drink phenyl in the council, no action was taken. “The Mayor should stop acting as a Congress Mayor and instead work for all the wards equally,” she said.

She alleged that the Mayor did not follow the business rules as she had allowed the council meeting to continue even after BJP members walked out.

Mr. Munirathna has been dismissing the allegations against him, terming them “politically motivated”.