A protest by the Opposition councillors on Monday in the Thrissur Corporation against the poor quality of drinking water distributed in the corporation limits witnessed many dramatic situations.
Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party councillors alleged that even when the Corporation had been claiming that it had spent a huge sums of money on drinking water projects, people were supplied dirty water.
Protesting against the distribution of ‘muddy’ water, Congress councillors reached the council with an effigy of Mayor M.K. Varghese. They poured muddy water purportedly collected from drinking water pipes over the effigy. After the Mayor dismissed the meeting and tried to go in his car, Congress councillors tried to block him, some even lying in front of the vehicle.
Congress councillors alleged that the Mayor’s car tried to ram them, who were protesting peacefully. “Seven Congress councillors, including Leader of the Opposition Rajan Pallan and town planning standing committee chairman John Daniel, were injured while trying to stop the car. They were later admitted to a hospital,” Congress councillors said.
“A case for murder attempt should be taken against the Mayor and his driver for trying to kill the Opposition councillors. The Mayor was acting like a criminal and unleashing violence on the councillors, who were protesting peacefully,” Mr. Daniel said.
The councillors staged a protest in front of the Mayor’s chamber till late in the evening.
Meanwhile, BJP councillors, who were protesting against the same issue, brought muddy water in bottles to the council and poured it over their head. They said the water was not even good for bathing.
“Of the ₹297 crore given by the Centre under the Amrit project, the Corporation had spent ₹134 crore for drinking water projects. But still people are getting dirty water. Even though the issue has been raised many times in the council, no action has been taken,” the BJP councillors said.
