Mayor Tony Chammany captive for 10 hours

KOCHI: Hundreds of LDF workers laid a siege to the corporation office in Kochi on Friday while the Opposition members gheraoed Mayor Tony Chammany inside the council hall for about 10 hours on Friday, asking the state government to order a judicial probe into the Fort Kochi boat tragedy which killed 11 persons.

The police later removed the protestors while Chief Minister Oommen Chandy announced in Thiruvananthapuram that the next  cabinet meeting will decide on the demand.

The melee resulted in the special session of the council, called to discuss the ‘Smart City’ project awarded to Kochi, being washed out.

The Opposition members were  on their feet as soon as Mr Chammany announced at the beginning of the meet at 10.30 a.m. that there would be a presentation on Smart City Mission followed by a discussion on the recommendations and suggestions of the council members.

CPM councillor M. Anil Kumar said that no discussions would be allowed on Smart City or other topics until a judicial commission probe was  ordered on the accident.

The Opposition also rejected the Mayor’s suggestion for a meeting of leaders of political parties in the council at his chamber to sort out the issue.

When Mr. Chammany was about to leave the council hall, the LDF councillors blockaded him and started sloganeering.

In the meanwhile, hundreds of LDF supporters laid a siege to the corporation office blocking the gates and occupying the Park Avenue Road in front of the office.

The corporation staff and even media reporters were not allowed to enter the office building initially.

Mr Chammany’s attempt to contact the Chief Minister over telephone to find out a solution also did not bear fruit.

CPM district secretary P. Rajeev said the reluctance of the state government to order a judicial probe into the tragedy betrayed  the collusion between the government and the council.

The government ordered a probe immediately after the Thattekkad boat tragedy  but it has not acted even after the corporation council passed a resolution favouring it in the Fort Kochi tragedy, he pointed out.