Cuttack, Sept. 9: Controversy marred the council meeting of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) today after mayor Minakshee Behera imposed restrictions on media coverage of the proceedings here.

Protesting against the decision, the councillors of both Congress and the BJP boycotted the council meeting and also staged a demonstration outside the council hall.

The two parties accused the BJD of clamping restrictions on media following instructions of Cuttack MLAs Debasish Samantray and Pravat Ranjan Biswal.

The Congress and BJP today teamed up and demanded for the dissolution of the council and resignation of mayor and municipal commissioner for their "failure in taking steps for restoration of roads and providing basic civic amenities to the people of the city".

"The media had exposed the real face of the BJD councillors when they had attacked the Opposition councillors during the last council meeting held on July 29," said Congress councillor from ward No. 4 Giribala Behera.

Behera alleged that today's gag on media clearly shows the intention of the BJD to suppress the voice of democracy as no restriction was clamped on coverage of the Parliament as well as Assembly session in the country.

The Congress councillors alleged that minutes after the council meeting had begun, mayor Behera had asked the newspersons to leave the council hall.

As the BJD is having a majority in the 59-ward CMC council, such a decision was taken without taking into confidence of the Opposition parties who have a mere strength of 16 councillors, including 10 from Congress and six from BJP.

"The mayor said that it was her personal decision that she took under her discretionary power. We want the CMC council to function in presence of the media as we are not feeling safe after the attack by the BJD councillors in the last meeting," said Congress councillor from ward No. 18 Arun Sethi.

The BJP councillors, on the other hand, boycotted the meeting as the mayor gave a ruling that the councillors of all parties were bound to obey her orders.

"We had opposed the decision and asked the mayor on what basis such a decision was taken. It is now evident that the BJD does not want to smoothly run the CMC council to cover up its failure in completing road repairs ahead of the festive season," said BJP councillor from ward No. 52 Hrusikesh Pradhan.

Mayor Behera claimed that the restriction was imposed just to ensure that the council functioned without any disruption.

The CMC council today functioned without the presence of the Opposition councillors.

"According to today's decision, Rs 3 lakh will be provided to each ward for restoration of roads before Dussehra and all the streetlights will be repaired at the earliest," said BJD councillor from ward No. 24 Ranjan Biswal.