The Hindu (Thiruvananthapuram)
Uproar in Corporation council meet over Mayor-KSRTC driver face-o
BJP councillors raise slogans against Mayor Arya Rajendran and stage a walkout; UDF councillor P. Padmakumar says Mayor should have taken steps worthy of her position rather than blocking bus and causing diculties to passengers KSRTC bus driver to move co
Ameeting of the 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 ti 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. 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
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 difculties 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 di erent 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 diculties. 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 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. She also alleged that he made obscene gestures at her and her sister-in-law.
Nemom native H.L. Yadhu, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) driver involved in a spat with Mayor Arya Rajendran over alleged misbehaviour, is set to move court against the police’s alleged refusal to register a case on his complaint.
Accusing the Cantonment police of registering a false case against him, Mr. Yadhu said he would seek the court’s intervention to register a case against Ms. Rajendran and her husband K.M. Sachin Dev, MLA, for obstructing his duty and for defaming him.
The Cantonment police had booked him for sexual harassment by making explicit sexual gestures, on the basis of the Mayor’s complaint.
Visuals sought
Meanwhile, the police have written to the KSRTC authorities, seeking permission to access the camera footage from the bus to examine the recording from Pattom to Palayam where the alleged crime had taken place.