The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Deputy Mayor seeks to put an end to controversy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 05, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Deputy Mayor seeks to put an end to controversy

R.K. Radhakrishnan

"I am disliked by many as I raise uncomfortable questions"

CHENNAI: Chennai Deputy Mayor `Karate' R. Thiagarajan on Tuesday sought to end the controversy surrounding his reported disappearance from the city. "I am not in hiding. I am now in Thiruvananthapuram. I will be back in the city on Friday," he told The Hindu over phone.

Mr. Thiagarajan said he was surprised by the interest created over the fact that he was not in Chennai. "I do not have any pressing work to attend to. The council meeting is only next month. I have always been available and will be available to discharge my duties as Deputy Mayor."

He claimed that last May, he had cut short his visit to Hong Kong because he was told that his signature was required on important files. The day the tsunami struck he was in New Delhi and rushed back.

He was not accused of being in "hiding" then. Why were such questions being raised now, he asked.

Mr. Thiagarajan said he was disliked by many as he raised uncomfortable questions. These related to the manner in which billboards were mushrooming all over the city and over the removal of some names from the electoral roll.

The hoardings were growing in size and number all over the city and the Municipal Administration and the Water Supply department were yet to issue guidelines as per the Supreme Court directions on the location of billboards near educational institutions, he claimed.

Asked if he favoured any lobby, Mr. Thiagarajan challenged anyone to prove so.

"Have I ever given any written permission to anyone to install a hoarding? Have I ever helped anyone?"

Mr. Thiagarajan said no case had been registered against him in any police station. Hence, the question of his seeking anticipatory bail did not arise.

"When I go abroad, I inform the leader of my party and also the officials. But now I am very much in the country and anyone can reach me over my phone. So where is the question of my running away from anything," he asked.

DMK whip in the Council, P.V. Kalyanasundaram, was of the view that something was "fishy" over the timing of the Deputy Mayor's visit to other cities.

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