Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 8 (IANS): The demands for the resignation of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor, Arya Rajendran, by the protesting BJP and the Congress intensified on Tuesday.
Like Monday, the BJP councillors arrived in the morning and took their places before the office of Rajendran and started shouting slogans demanding her resignation after she reportedly wrote a letter to the party's district secretary stating that there are 295 temporary vacancies in the corporation.
However, after Rajendran flatly denied of ever writing such a letter, the Crime Branch police decided to conduct a probe into this matter.
Rajendran's official vehicle was waylaid by the Congress workers. Later after the police intervened, she was able to drive to her office.
After arriving at the office complex, amid strict security she was whisked to her office through a different route and when the BJP councillors learnt about it, they hooted at her.
Senior most councillor at the corporation and veteran BJP leader Ashok Kumar, who was sitting before the office of the Mayor, said it's a shame that she has engaged in such a corrupt practice. He stated that their protests would continue until she resigns.
Meanwhile, it has now come to light that the probe team is cautiously going forward as doubts have been raised that the whole letter controversy is a result of the factionalism in the CPI-M in the state capital district and any in-depth detailed probe means, a few top district level leaders of the party might land in a tight spot.
What's most intriguing is the Mayor who has gone on record to say that she has not written such a letter, never complained to the police, instead met Vijayan and briefed him. Later Vijayan asked the state police chief for a probe.
Rajendran wrote into record books in 2020, when she was elected as the youngest Mayor in the country. The BJP and the Congress described her as the youngest 'corrupt' Mayor in the country.
Now all eyes are on Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan who has declared war on the Vijayan government and is presently studying a detailed memorandum that was signed by the BJP councillors over various corruptions that have come out in the corporation.
Khan has assured the BJP councillors that he will study their memorandum and will do accordingly.