The oath-taking ceremony of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation members on Sunday spiralled into a controversy after the BJP councillors sang the RSS anthem, drawing criticism from the CPM.
All eyes were on the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Sunday when the 100 councillors from a total of 101 wards took the oath. Polls were not held at the Vizhinjam ward due to the death of one of the candidates. The 50 councillors from the BJP-led NDA were joined by 29 LDF and 19 UDF members in the oath-taking ceremony. Two Independent candidates were also sworn in.
The BJP councillors, who had marched to the corporation office from the Martyrs’ Square, broke into the RSS anthem Gana Geetham after taking oath, prompting the CPM members to accuse the saffron party of communalising the ceremony.
“The BJP has come here with a communal agenda. Several BJP activists entered the Corporation Council Hall without a pass and sabotaged the prevalent system,” a CPM councillor said.
The BJP has not responded to the controversy.
The BJP, which wrested the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation from the LDF, is yet to select its mayor. It is still unclear if R. Sreelekha, the former director-general of police who won from the Sasthamangalam ward, or councillor V.V. Rajesh will become the mayor. However, seniority might tilt the balance in
Rajesh’s favour.