Writer M.T. Vasudevan Nair’s public utterance against drinking water disruption in Kozhikode city is reportedly taking a political turn with the District Congress Committee (DCC) on Thursday seeking an apology from Mayor Thottathil Raveendran for the alleged bid to “insult the writer” at the corporation council meeting the previous day.
Addressing the media, DCC president T. Siddique alleged that P. Kishan Chand, a Left Democratic Front councillor, accused the writer of lying about water shortage, during the council meeting.
During a book release event on Sunday, MT had claimed that he had not been getting drinking water for the past 20 days and every day he was forced to pray against pipe bursts. He had also recalled that even 25 years ago, the city was forced to bear with a similar situation and he had written about it in one of his columns.
Mr. Raveendran, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, and MLAs were present when the veteran writer aired his grouse. The Mayor, however, chose to pass on the blame to the Kerala Water Authority, which is in charge of drinking water distribution in the city, for neglecting the corporation’s complaints.
Mr. Siddique alleged that the LDF tried to take “vengeance against MT for speaking up in public, using their majority in the corporation council.”
“Instead of trying to solve the complaint raised by MT, the councillor insulted the writer, who just reflected the public sentiment. It had been pointed out that the water disruption there lasted only two days. Instead of relying on such finer points, the corporation should address the issue of frequent pipe bursts,” he said.
Mr. Siddique also demanded that Mr. Raveendran issue a public apology as the leader of the LDF in the council.