Din over 'police action'

As if fighting it out on weekends on the Corporation portico was not enough, the UDF and LDF councillors verbally engaged in a battle in the Corporation Council on Tuesday. This time, over a resolution moved by the LDF condemning the police action against the pro-Left employees who allegedly ‘’were being hunted down by the law-keepers’’, forcing them to stay away from work.

 Rage, drama and tears filled the meeting, making it a wholesome entertainment show for the public who were present at the Corporation office.  The Council meeting, which began on a peaceful note, slipped into a brouhaha the minute the resolution was read out by the Works Standing Committee Chairman V S Padmakumar. The resolution said that the police were roaming around the Corporation office in ‘mufti’, dropping in at the employees’ houses at midnight asking for them and even visiting the Secretary’s quarters at odd hours.

 ‘’From what we hear, the list of accused has not been prepared yet. Apart from the six employees who were suspended, police are on the lookout for 150 employees who are identifiable by sight. Which means, the whole of Corporation employees are facing a lookout notice. Then, how can they sit peacefully and work? Their absence has derailed the functioning of the office,’’ Padmakumar said.

 The UDF members were miffed over the fact that the resolution did not mention the UDF councillors, especially Kottapuram councillor Sadanandan Thai, who were injured in the scuffle on June 16.

 The UDF councillors were laying a siege to the Corporation office when the Left employees  entered into a clash with them. The police had intervened and the LSG Secretary, who later submitted a report to the Government, had recommended the suspension of six employees belonging to the Kerala Municipal and Corporation Staff Union (KMCSU).

 UDF leaders accused the Mayor of not visiting the injured UDF members in hospital. The din reached its height when UDF councillor Gladis Alex said that they were beaten up because the Mayor was, ‘’good for nothing.’’ This led to a pandemonium - the LDF members asking her to withdraw the statement and the UDF members supporting Gladis to carry on.

 It was then that Gladis delivered the best dialogue of the day. ‘’She is my mother, she is mother to all 99 of us. I was hurt that she did not come to see me when I was down in bed with plastered legs,’’ she said in a trembling voice.

 UDF leader Harikumar thanked Padmakumar for bringing a controversial resolution when the UDF had, in fact, decided not to mention the 16/6 incident in Tuesday’s meeting.  The BJP mostly enjoyed the show and took a middle path, saying the culprits should be booked and the innocent employees left in peace.

 Deputy Mayor G Happykumar, who rose to speak as if he were a mediator, stressed on why the employees should be pacified and brought back to their seats. The UDF walked out of the meeting soon after.

 Winding up the discussion, Mayor K Chandrika said that she was not against the police taking action against the culprits. But the innocent should be left alone, she urged, and the resolution was passed without the consent of the UDF.