Thiruvananthapuram Mayor courts trouble after allegations of backdoor appointment

Thiruvananthapuram: After a letter purportedly written by Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor Arya Rajendran became viral among the public, CPI(M) District Secretary Anavoor Nagappan claimed that police Crime Branch officials had recorded his statement.

The police had earlier on Saturday denied that they had recorded Nagappan's statement.

This comes after the Opposition BJP and Congress workers protested peacefully before the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation on Saturday, demanding the resignation of Rajendran regarding temporary appointments of CPI(M) cadres in the Left-ruled civic body.

After an alleged letter from Rajendran to Nagappan went viral in the media, the opposition BJP and the Congress have been organising demonstrations outside the civic body since November 7 calling for the removal of the mayor for trying to recommend positions for 295 CPI(M) workers.

Since the last five days, the police resorted to using water cannons and firing tear gas shells when the protesters tried to forcefully enter the Corporation office compound and at times, the former lathicharged the protesters.

However, the Corporation Mayor denied writing any such letter while a second letter allegedly confirmed to be written by CPI(M) Councillor D.R. Anil to Nagappan, the latter denied receiving both the letters.

What turned out to be a rude jolt for the ruling CPI(M) was that both these letters found its way into the public domain, leaving the entire top party brass red-faced.

Nagappan told the media that the police Crime Branch investigation team had met him.

"I don't think I need to discuss with the media what was spoken to the probe team," said Nagappan, who maintained that he did meet the probe team, however, the police team denied meeting Nagappan.

Meanwhile, following a complaint to the Vigilance Department against the nepotism prevailing in the Corporation, the Vigilance officials recorded statements of both Rajendran and Nagappan.

But what continues to baffle many is that till now, the Crime Branch police is yet to register an FIR leaving tongues wagging that there will be no outcome to the probe as at the end, there will be a clean chit that would be given, as any in-depth probe could well play spoilsport to CPI(M) and the factionalism in the Thiruvananthapuram party unit could emerge out in public.