Chaos at CMC meeting over removal of BJP’s Protest Pandal
Udupi: Chaos erupted at the CMC meeting here on August 31 over the removal of BJP’s protest pandal near Clock Tower on August 30. CMC Councilor Yashpal Suvarna said that CMC Commissioner Manjunatayya was acting as a Congress agent and had got the protest pandal which was set up at Clock Tower removed. He demanded an apology by the Commissioner.
The BJP was protesting against the delay in issuing permits for sand mining in the district. The CMC administration had removed the protest pandal while the BJP party workers had marched towards the deputy commissioner’s office.
The BJP Councilors took the Commissioner to task and demanded his apology for removing the protest pandal. Scenes of utter chaos were witnessed in CMC meeting hall with the BJP and Congress Councilors shouting slogans against each other. BJP Councilors marched towards the president’s chair and shouted slogans in-spite of the request by CMC President Meenkashi Madhava Bannanje to maintain the decorum of the meeting hall. Congress Councilors upset by BJP Councilors shouting slogans also shouted slogans saying “BJP was against development”.
CMC President Meenkashi Madhav Bannaje said that she was not allowed to speak in the meeting, she had planned to give information on the Sodium free street lights but BJP is a party which does not support development. While speaking, the microphone was pulled by Yashpal Suvarna and Mahesh Thakur which shows their culture, she added.
CMC Commissioner said that the pandal was removed legally. The BJP was not given the permission to install a pandal near the Clock Tower but when the BJP was protesting the CMC administration allowed it out of concern. The pandal was removed later with the consent of the police department. We did not commit any mistake and we will not apologize. We will not comment on the locking of the CMC, he said.