Opposition protest against the action of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor V. V. Rajesh granting 6 months leave to BJP councillor R. Sugathan during a council meeting.
| Photo Credit: (File photo) NIRMAL HARINDRAN
The Home Department on Thursday withdrew a letter which was used by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Thiruvananthapuram Corporation administration to grant six months of leave to BJP councillor R. Sugathan, who was arrested under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA) and currently lodged at the high-security correctional facility at Viyyur Central Prison in Thrissur in Kerala.
The letter, dated July 20 and signed by an under secretary on behalf of the Additional Chief Secretary, was sent to Mr. Sugathan in response to his request for an escort parole to take part in the council meeting on July 31. Having missed two council meeting already, he stood a chance to be disqualified if he missed one more meeting.
Though the government rejected the request, the letter further went on to detail ways in which he can avoid disqualification. It suggested him to submit a leave letter to the council through the Jail Superintendent. Further, it said that if the council approves this request through voting, his councillor post will be “safe.” Mr. Sugathan followed the method specified in the letter to secure leave, leading to a huge controversy, with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) accusing the Congress-United Democratic Front (UDF) of going the extra mile to prevent the disqualification of a BJP councillor.
Published – August 06, 2026 11:28 pm IST
