The protest by Congress councillors in the Thrissur Corporation against distribution of poor quality drinking water in the city is becoming murkier.
The police on Wednesday night registered cases against Mayor M.K. Varghese and his driver on a complaint by Congress councillors. In their complaint, the councillors said the Mayor’s driver, on a directive of the Mayor, tried to ram his car on to a group of peacefully protesting councillors. The case was registered under Section 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) and Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means).
Congress councillors had brought muddy water purportedly distributed by the corporation in the city to the council and poured it on the effigy of the Mayor.
In another development, the Mayor lodged a counter petition with the police that Congress councillors tried to burn him by pouring petrol. He also claimed that the councillors jumped in front of his car deliberately to cause an accident.
On the Mayor’s complaint, the police registered a case against Congress councillors under Section 308 and Section 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint).
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition Rajan Pallan demanded the resignation of the Mayor as a non-bailable case under IPC Section 308 had been registered against him.
“The complaint of the Mayor that the Opposition councillors tried to burn him by pouring petrol is strange. If the Mayor says he mistook the muddy water brought by the UDF as petrol, he is lying. Muddy water is being distributed in the city for the last one year. There should be a permanent solution for it,” he said.
Congress councillors withdrew their indefinite protest at the Mayor’s chamber on the promise that the driver of the Mayor, who tried to ram the car on them, will be suspended from duty, Mr. Pallan added.
However, the Mayor denied it and said no such promise was given to anybody.
