Councillor threatens to slap ex-Mayor

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 30

The monthly House meeting of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation once again witnessed a ruckus by councillors.

This time, however, it was not elected councillors but a nominated councillor, Prof Aruna Goel (nominated to the civic body to offer expertise in the field of education), who brought the House a new low.

She threatened to slap, not once but thrice, former Mayor and Congress councillor Subhash Chawla. Congress councillors opposed Goel’s conduct and heated arguments took place between them. Seeing the situation go out of control, Mayor Arun Sood ended the meeting abruptly.

It all started when Goel tried to stop Congress councillor Darshan Garg, who was attacking the Mayor on the water crisis issue. On this, Congress councillor Subhash Chawla told Goel, “Who are you to stop us?” Replying to Chawla’s statement, Goel said, “Don’t you know who I am?” This triggered arguments between Congress and nominated councillors following which the Mayor announced a tea break.

After the tea break, nominated councillor MP Kohli demanded an apology from Congress councillors for disrespecting Goel. On this, Chawla said they did not disrespect anybody. Chawla said unlike nominated councillors, he was an elected councillor and had experience of over 40 years in politics.

Goel, along with nominated councillors MP Kohli, Sat Paul Bansal and Surinder Bahga, came close to the corner where Congress councillors were sitting. As the arguments were going on, Goel raised her hand towards Chawla and threatened to slap him. She did this thrice.

Cong seeks Mayor, Kainth’s resignation 

Congress councillors raised slogans against Mayor Arun Sood and BJP councillor Satish Kainth and demanded their resignation. They showed banners and newspaper cuttings against the two leaders. BJP councillor Satish Kainth, who has been booked by the Chandigarh Police for allegedly grabbing a plot of a woman in Hallo Majra, is on the run. Kainth had applied for anticipatory bail in the District Courts and in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which was rejected. The complainant had alleged that Kainth had illegally occupied her plot and constructed a house on it.

Cong councillors tear copies of minutes 

During the meeting, Congress councillors tore copies of the minutes of the last MC House meeting. Alleging that the Mayor had adopted a pick-and-choose policy while adding and deleting statements of councillors, they rejected the minutes prepared by the MC. They tore copies and threw these on the Mayor’s table. Congress councillors Poonam Sharma and Subhash Chawla tried to snatch the copies of minutes from the Mayor and Joint Commissioner Rajiv Gupta. On this, the Mayor threatened that he would lodge a case against them. The Mayor also called marshals to control the situation in the MC House. 

What councillors say 

"Time and again, the Congress has been coming in the way of development of the city by creating hurdles at House meetings. The chaos in the House meeting on Monday was also triggered by Congress councillors. — Arun Sood, Mayor

Whatever happened at the House meeting is unfortunate. It is good that it was stopped within limits. However, I am not Mahatma Gandhi who will offer the other cheek if someone slaps me. — Subhash Chawla, former mayor & cong councillor

I don’t want to comment on the issue. — Prof Aruna Goel, nominated councillor

We do not come here for being slapped. We come here to raise people’s voice. Senior councillors have no right to hit juniors, that too without any reason. — Gurbax Rawat, cong councillor

I am feeling ashamed of Monday’s House proceedings. These things stop young blood from joining politics. —Satinder Singh, BJP councillor