Tiruchi Mayor resents 'slight', boycotts Stalin function

By Our special Correspondent

TIRUCHI, MAY 12. The simmering differences between the TMC and the DMK today came to the fore, when the Tiruchi Corporation Mayor, Mrs. Punithavalli Pazhaniyandi, TMC, along with Opposition Councillors, boycotted the function organised in the city today, in which the Chennai Mayor, Mr. M.K. Stalin, was the chief guest.

She told presspersons that the DMK which was a majority in the Council had been sidelining her for quite sometime, and an attempt was being made to establish a ``parallel power centre'' in the State by the DMK.

She was not given the importance due to the first citizen of the city when Mr. Stalin inaugurated the Karur bypass road in Tiruchi city on April 16.

Though Mr. Stalin was participating in about a dozen functions today (declaring open ration shops and police booth buildings), no one in the Corporation had informed her about the same.

Mrs. Punithavalli said she had come to know that she was to offer felicitations only from the invitation, which was handed over to her last night.

Since the invitation for the function was printed in the name of the Tiruchi Corporation, she had sent a letter to the Commissioner, asking him how he had printed the same without her consent, the Mayor said.

All the Opposition parties supported her stand and decided to boycott the functions today.

If the DMK Councillors continued to sideline the Mayor, and also the Opposition, then they would organise a black flag demonstration, and resort to other forms of agitation, she added.

Mrs. Punithavalli said she had already sent a fax to the Chief Minister expressing her resentment over the issue. She would also meet him soon.

To a question, the Mayor said she had appraised the TMC high command of the situation.

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Section  : Regional
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