A meeting of the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation council on Tuesday witnessed heated exchanges between councillors of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) over the controversy surrounding a tiff between Mayor Arya Rajendran and a Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) driver.
In her reply, an emotional Ms. Rajendran said that it was unfortunate that a woman was being hounded for questioning someone who made obscene gestures at her.
Half an hour into the meeting, BJP councillors trooped into the well raising slogans against the Mayor and they soon staged a walkout. The UDF councillors who stayed behind for the discussion later walked out in protest towards the fag end of the meeting.
BJP councillor K. Anilkumar raised the issue as soon as the proceedings began, questioning the Mayor’s conduct. He said that the Mayor should have informed the Opposition councillors about the issue. With the Opposition councillors hurling allegations at the Mayor, the LDF councillors rose from their seats, leading to a shouting match between both sides.
Though LDF councillor D.R. Anil demanded that a resolution be passed demanding dismissal of H.L. Yadhu, the driver, it was not passed.
Apology sought from Mayor
UDF councillor P. Padmakumar said that if the claims made by the Mayor were true, she should have taken steps worthy of her position rather than blocking the bus and causing difficulties to the passengers. He demanded that she apologise for her behaviour.
LDF councillor Amshu Vamadevan alleged the BJP and the UDF of having an unholy nexus with a section of the visual media, who have given a different spin to the whole issue.
Ms. Rajendran, who said that she had already explained the timeline of events, said that she decided to respond on the spot to ensure that no one else would have to face such behaviour. “Women are often questioned for not responding on the spot when something happens to them. But, what has been happening over the past two days is the price that one has to pay for responding on the spot. It has caused me immense difficulties. Over the past two days, abusive comments have been made even under social media photographs with my brother. But the mainstream media, which often raise a hue and cry about cyberattacks on some privileged persons, haven’t cared to report it,” she said.
The Mayor said that it was evident from the video of the incident that the driver had shown obscene gestures, as she and her family members could be heard confronting him over them.
The incident occurred after the driver of a Thrissur-Thiruvananthapuram Super Fast bus, was confronted by Ms. Rajendran, who was accompanied by her husband K.M. Sachin Dev, MLA, her brother and his wife at Palayam on April 27. According to the police, the Mayor accused the driver of driving recklessly and obstructing their path while they travelled on a private vehicle at Plamoodu, near Pattom. She also alleged that he made obscene gestures at her and her sister-in-law.
