Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Now he has his flag flying high

By Karthik Subramanian

CHENNAI June 21. Finally, there is something official about the flag on `Karate' R. Thyagarajan's car. So what, if the initials ``i/c'' look a bit crudely imprinted.

Within minutes of taking charge at Ripon Buildings, the ``acting'' Mayor got his long-standing wish come true. For long, he had been stirring a hornet's nest by flying a `deputy mayor's flag' on his car, a privilege no other deputy mayor of the State had enjoyed.

This despite several complaints from the unseated Mayor, M. K. Stalin, who argued that the flag was an honour befitting only the ``directly elected'' Mayor. The issue had even its echo at the Assembly.

With Mr. Stalin now out of office, Mr.Thyagarajan had taken the permission of the new Commissioner, M. Kalaivanan, to fly the ``original'' flag on his car. Only he had to attach ``i.c'' to denote ``in-charge''.

What's more Mr.Thyagarajan also gets the red revolving light atop his car. ``There is an executive order that the Mayor can place the light on his car. As the acting Mayor, he is eligible. Also, there are two precedents at Tirunelveli and Tiruchi Corporations,'' said Mr. Kalaivanan.

However, if norms were strictly maintained Mr.Thyagarajan would still be deprived of some of the special privileges that Mr. Stalin enjoyed.

He might not be allowed to wear the ceremonial robes or hold the Mayoral mace.

Those are special privileges for the directly elected Mayor.

But the acting Mayor himself does not seem to be disheartened by prospects of possible elections. ``Whosoever Amma places as a candidate in such a probability would win the elections,'' he said.

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