The Hindu : New Delhi News : Mayor manhandled by Councillor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Mayor manhandled by Councillor

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, AUG. 10. In an unprecedented incident, the Delhi Mayor, A. R. Verma, was manhandled and gheraoed by the Congress Councillor from Preet Vihar, Ramesh Pandit, at the House meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi here on Monday.

Defying all decorum, Mr. Pandit, who was agitated after Mr. Verma denied him permission to speak on the Ghazipur slaughterhouse issue, climbed the podium and prevented him from leaving the place for several minutes.

As an agitated Preet Vihar Councillor charged towards the Mayor, his personnel staff threw a security ring around him. In front of all the elected representatives and senior MCD officials, Mr. Pandit shouted: "How dare you not allow me to express my views? I will not let you leave this House till I am allowed to express my views."

The Mayor left only after the Leader of House, Satbir Singh, along with the MCD Standing Committee Deputy Chairman, Ashok Jain, rushed to the dais and literally pulled Mr. Pandit away. Mr. Verma was heard saying: "This was the party's decisions so I did not permit you to speak."

Later, after a meeting with Mr. Verma, Mr. Singh said a show cause notice would be issued to Mr. Pandit for his indecent behaviour. "This is against the party discipline. We cannot tolerate such unparliamentary behaviour from our members," he said. Mr. Pandit however, defended his behaviour. "I will reply to the show cause notice when it comes. This was a crucial issue relating to the people of my ward.

A people's movement is going on in my area against the setting of the slaughter house at Ghazipur.

I wanted to express my view on the issue as the item was being passed. Every Councillor has a right to express his view on the agenda items. By preventing me from speaking, Mr. Verma took an undemocratic decision," Mr. Pandit said.

Condemning the incident, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party Councillor, Vijender Kumar Gupta, demanded that Mr. Pandit be suspended from the House for attacking the first citizen of the Capital.

The Leader of the Opposition, Subhash Arya, said: "This represents the Congress culture."

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