Coconuts to protest ‘inaguration’ letter

CHANDIGARH: If paid parking scam was not enough to rile them, the opposition was worked up over a letter issued by the mayor mentioning that he should be intimated before any kind of inaugurations, holding a protest during the MC house meeting on Tuesday.

Calling the order dictatorial, AAP councillors carried coconuts, garlands and sweets — items generally used for inaugurations— to mock the mayor.

“We respect the chair of the mayor, but if he wants to forcefully carry out inaugurations by issuing such letters, this will not happen at any cost. We will hand over the projects to public. We will call the mayor gracefully, but this act of issuing a letter is condemnable,” said AAP councillor Prem Lata.

The AAP councillors also alleged officers were being threatened over phone not to allow inaugurations even by area councillors. “The officers are under pressure because they have been asked to carry out the diktat of the mayor,” alleged AAP councillor Damanpreet Singh.

Rejecting the allegations, the mayor said the words, “stopping inaugurations”, had not been written in the order. “It is just for intimation of any project being inaugurated,” he said, denying any pressure on officers. He also counted some of the projects in the wards of AAP councillors that were inaugurated in the recent past in his absence.