Chaos erupted in the Palakkad Municipal Corporation meeting as Congress and Left parties clashed with the BJP over naming a disabled centre after RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar, leading to physical altercations and property damage.
A council meeting of the Palakkad Municipal Corporation descended into complete chaos on Monday after Congress and Left party members strongly opposed a resolution to name a proposed skill development centre for the disabled after RSS founder Dr. K.B. Hedgewar.
The heated session saw councillors from the United Democratic Front (UDF) and Left Democratic Front (LDF) clashing with members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Eyewitnesses report that the situation escalated into physical altercations, with some members seen beating each other with slippers and damaging public property within the council hall.
Despite the commotion, the BJP managed to pass the resolution, further fueling protests from the opposition benches.
Speaking to the media, Palakkad Municipality Vice-Chairman and BJP leader Krishna Das accused the Congress and CPM members of deliberately disrupting the proceedings.
“Palakkad Municipality wanted to launch a skill development centre for the disabled, but even that was disrupted by the Congress and CPM. Today, during the council meeting, the chairman invited all parties for a discussion. But instead of debating the matter, the UDF and LDF members created a ruckus, tried to manhandle the chairman, and damaged municipal property,” he said.
Opposition members, however, claimed that the move to name the centre after Hedgewar was politically motivated and an attempt to push the RSS ideology through civic institutions. They demanded that the naming be reconsidered, calling it “divisive” and “inappropriate” for a public welfare facility.
Police were later called in to control the situation and prevent further unrest. While no serious injuries have been reported, video footage of the incident showing councillors throwing objects and physically attacking one another has gone viral, sparking widespread criticism from civil society.
As political tensions simmer in the region, the future of the proposed skill development centre remains uncertain, overshadowed by ideological conflict and administrative chaos.
