Ruckus in Palike council meeting over attack on women corporators

 The alleged atrocities against women corporators of Rajarajeshwari Nagar Assembly constituency once again rocked the BBMP council meeting leading to its adjournment on Thursday.

The issue had dominated the previous meeting in the last week of May after a furore over this issue. As soon as the council meeting began, BJP corporator from JP Park, Mamatha Vasudev, raised the matter of injustice to women corporators and the silence of the Palike administration.

Mayor G Padmavathi retorted saying that she had a meeting with Bengaluru Development Minister K J George on this issue for three hours where it was decided that the officers will have to furnish details of the programme of works, 14th finance commission grants, social welfare projects, single houses and other Palike projects to the corporators.

The reply did not convince BJP leader Padmanabha Reddy, who claimed that there was a threat to women corporators representing wards under the Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone. He demanded a CBI probe into the works carried out in the constituency. JD(S) corporator from Laggere ward Manjula Narayanaswamy said there was no respect for women corporators in the BBMP.

Resolutions passed

Amid allegations and counter-allegations, the argument heated up and the BJP staged a walkout. In their absence, the council passed many resolutions, which included acquiring land in exchange for transferrable development rights for widening of Tannery Road, 28 skywalks in the city and naming of a road after a freedom fighter.

The council meeting adjourned for lunch. When members assembled after lunch, the mayor adjourned the house in the absence of quorum. Later, the mayor told reporters that the BJP was politicising the issue in view of the Assembly elections next year.