Shimla Mayor suspends BJP councillors for obstructing House proceedings

An uproar erupted during the monthly general house meeting of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) today after Mayor Surinder Chauhan suspended nine BJP councillors for allegedly obstructing the proceedings over the issue of the extension of his tenure.

The BJP councillors continued raising slogans against the Mayor even after being asked to leave the House. They continued sloganeering for several minutes before staging a walkout. The BJP councillors said that they would not allow the House proceedings to continue until a woman was elected as new Mayor.

The controversy started when the BJP councillors prevented Chauhan from conducting the proceedings, claiming that the chair of the Mayor was vacant and he had no right to preside over the House. As tension escalated, the Mayor, along with the Municipal Commissioner, briefly walked out while the BJP members continued to protest in the House.

The Congress councillors also countered the BJP councillors by raising slogans and accusing them of deliberately disrupting the proceedings and being anti-people. The BJP councillors termed the Congress-led corporation anti-women while the Congress members alleged that the Opposition was acting against public interest.

The BJP councillors, while speaking with mediapersons, said that Chauhan had no right to continue as Mayor as the ordinance issued for the extension of his term had expired on January 6 and the state government had not issued a new notification.

They said, “We have nothing against the Mayor personally, but as per the reservation roster, a woman should now be elected as Mayor. Chauhan’s continuation as Mayor has exposed the anti-women stance of the Congress-led corporation.”

The BJP councillors claimed that the Mayor had no authority to suspend them. They also questioned Congress women councillors why they were not raising their voice on the issue.

The Mayor also lambasted the BJP councillors over their protest and said that they had made a mockery of the corporation by repeatedly interrupting the House proceedings though the extension matter was sub judice.

Chauhan said, “It takes time for a Bill to be cleared after it is presented in the Vidhan Sabha by the government. The senior party leadership should also take note of it and should instruct its councillors to work in people’s interest. The House proceedings will continue and strict action will be taken against them if they continue with their irresponsible behaviour.”

Meanwhile, 24 Congress, one CPM and five nominated councillors cleared a proposal during the meeting, urging the Governor to pass the Bill regarding the extension of the term of the Mayor at the earliest.

BJP councillors vow not to take refreshments at MC meetings

• In an interesting turn of events, the BJP councillors on Friday decided not to consume any refreshment during the meetings of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) in the future.
• They took the decision after Mayor Surinder Chauhan said that the BJP members staged a protest after eating ‘halwa’.
• The Mayor stated that the BJP councillors had behaved in a similar manner on the budget day as well when they had ‘halwa’ without any hesitation and then walked out of the House.
• The BJP councillors took offence at such remarks and said that they did not have ‘halwa’ today. The irate councillors then pledged not to consume any refreshment and water in the House in the future.
• The BJP members, while talking to mediapersons, said that the remarks were inappropriate as they did not come to the House to enjoy refreshments.
• They added that the Mayor should apologise to them for using such a language against them.
• They said, “We have brought our own water bottles to the meeting and haven’t taken any refreshment.”