BJP, Congress protests continue against mayor Arya Rajendran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Protests against Mayor S Arya Rajendran in connection with the letter row continued on the second day at the corporation office on Tuesday.

BJP councillors protested by laying siege to the offices of the mayor and works standing committee chairman D R Anil from 10 am while Congress leaders staged a protest in front of the corporation office seeking her resignation. Former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated the Congress protest.

Coming down heavily on the mayor, Chennithala said that people will kick the mayor out of the corporation office due to her frequent involvement in corruption. “Don’t ask the mayor to resign. People will kick her out. Since she assumed office, several reports of corruption and irregularities have come out one after the other. This is a serious issue, and the people need to react,” he said.

Two KSU workers were arrested by the police for waving black flags at the mayor when she came out of her residence at Mudavanmugal on Tuesday. When she entered the official vehicle at her house, a KSU worker jumped in front of the vehicle waving flags and raising slogans against her. Soon, local CPM workers stationed at the spot manhandled him and handed him over to the police.  

Amid protest by the BJP and the Congress, the mayor managed to enter her office on Tuesday around 12.20 pm through the PA’s office after LDF councillors and police shielded her from the entrance to the office. BJP councillors who laid siege to her office said that the mayor entered her room secretly, and it was a cowardly act. Later the BJP  councillors were arrested by the police. They were booked under IPC Sections 143, 147, 148, 149, 188, 283 and 332, a police officer said.