Protocol violation becomes focus of debate

Corporation council disperses after approving items in agenda without discussion

COVID-19 protocol violations became the focus of debate at the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation council on Wednesday after the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors arrived in full strength at the council hall against the limited numbers earlier agreed in an all party meeting.

The council dispersed after approving most of the items in agenda without discussion. Some of the items were kept aside for the next meeting. Later, the Museum Police registered a case under the Kerala Epidemic Diseases Ordinance, 2020, against BJP councillors who participated in a protest march on the Corporation premises.

As per a decision made at the all party meeting, a total of 20 members, including five councillors from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), four from the BJP and three from the United Democratic Front (UDF), in addition to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, standing committee chairpersons and party leaders were to take part in the meeting. The rest were to join through an online conference.

However, all the BJP councillors arrived for the meeting, with four of them sitting within the council hall and the rest of the 30 sitting with placards just outside in the council lounge. Mayor Arya Rajendran said the council meeting cannot continue amid protocol violations and requested the councillors to disperse to different rooms within the office and join the online meeting.

However, the BJP councillors argued that since the Assembly was convened in full strength and the swearing-in ceremony of the LDF government was also organised, the council meeting could be held. LDF councillors argued that there was no facility to conduct COVID-19 tests for all councillors, safety cannot be ensured, due to which a partially online meeting was a better option.

With the BJP councillors refusing to disperse, the Mayor passed the agenda for the day and ended the meeting. The BJP councillors organised a protest march around the Corporation office, over which the Museum Police registered a case for violation of protocols