Kochi Corporation Council passes SIR resolution amid protests; BJP councillors walk out

BJP councillors walk out of the Kochi Corporation Council hall during a discussion on the SIR resolution on Tuesday.

The discussion on a political resolution moved by United Democratic Front (UDF) councillor and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Deepthy Mary Varghese at the Kochi Corporation Council meeting on Tuesday ended with all six Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) councillors staging a walkout. The resolution expressed solidarity with the nationwide protests by political, youth and student outfits against alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The resolution, backed by Left Democratic Front parliamentary party leader V.A. Sreejith, criticised Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar for allegedly bringing disrepute to a constitutional position through the purported sabotage of the democratic process by stripping over 13 crore voters of their voting rights. BJP councillors, led by their parliamentary party leader Sudha Dilipkumar, strongly protested the resolution.

BJP councillor Priya Prasanth claimed that over 2.50 crore of the names removed from the rolls belonged to deceased persons and asked whether Ms. Varghese wanted the deceased to be given voting rights. This prompted UDF councillors to rise in protest, questioning the claim and creating a commotion. Mayor V.K. Minimol then asked the UDF councillors to allow Ms. Prasanth to speak. However, Ms. Prasanth was apparently provoked by the Mayor’s seemingly sarcastic observation on her claims and a throwaway remark by K.X. Francis, who was seated next to her.

Ms. Dilipkumar criticised what she described as the ridicule of BJP councillors by their UDF counterparts, saying it had stripped the resolution of its seriousness and denied the BJP councillors their right to respond to it. Shortly thereafter, the BJP councillors walked out of the council hall, accusing the Mayor and UDF councillors of intolerance. Dismissing the allegation, Ms. Minimol said allowing a discussion rather than unilaterally approving the resolution was in keeping with the democratic spirit.

While supporting the resolution, Mr. Sreejith criticised the manner in which the Mayor and UDF councillors had participated in the discussion and repeatedly interrupted Ms. Prasanth while she was speaking. Ms. Minimol declared the resolution passed in the absence of the BJP councillors.

Later, Ms. Dilipkumar accused the Mayor of failing to uphold the sanctity of her position and of behaving like a Mahila Congress leader.