Kochi Corporation Council to convey its protest over Mayor’s exclusion to President’s office

Days after President Droupadi Murmu concluded her brief visit to the city, the controversy surrounding the exclusion of Mayor M. Anilkumar from the function she attended reverberated during the Kochi Corporation Council meeting on Monday, the first to be held in the civic body’s newly inaugurated headquarters.

The meeting resolved to officially convey its protest to the President’s office. Mr. Anilkumar said that the unanimous resolution, reflecting the sentiments of the council, would be communicated to the President’s office, along with a request to take steps to prevent similar incidents in the future.

However, the session turned noisy as Opposition members from the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the BJP criticised the Mayor for not being present to receive the President, as per protocol.

Left Democratic Front (LDF) councillor and education standing committee chairperson V.A. Sreejith raised the issue, describing the Mayor’s exclusion as a politically motivated act intended to insult the entire city. UDF Parliamentary Party leader M.G. Aristotle said that while the exclusion of the Mayor should be protested, the Mayor, being above party politics, should have fulfilled his constitutional duty by receiving the President. This led to a heated exchange between the two.

BJP councillor Priya Prashanth echoed Mr. Aristotle’s sentiments, saying that although the exclusion was inappropriate, the Mayor should have performed his constitutional responsibilities. Mr. Sreejith responded that while he had not initially accused the BJP of orchestrating the exclusion, it now appeared evident that the party was behind it.

LDF councillor Benedict Fernandez registered his protest against the educational institution that hosted the programme, alleging that not inviting the Mayor amounted to a constitutional violation. UDF councillors Henry Austin and A.R. Padmadas remarked that a stronger response to similar snubs in the past could have prevented the current incident.

Mr. Anilkumar said that he had received no communication instructing him to be present to receive the President. He noted that protocol had been diluted over the past five years, but he had refrained from reacting to avoid unnecessary controversy. He recalled being excluded during the Prime Minister’s visit to the Cochin Shipyard and said such incidents were not coincidental.

He pointed out that BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar was present at the President’s function in Thiruvananthapuram, while in Kochi, the Mayor was excluded. He added that the President’s office should have shown the courtesy of informing him in advance.

Mr. Anilkumar criticised the UDF’s stance, saying that it was unacceptable. While even the BJP had not justified the exclusion, the UDF appeared to be defending the President’s office. He concluded by saying that he had informed the authorities concerned whenever protocol violations occurred in the past.