Women councillors allege misconduct by Congress in Kyathanpalli

BRS and CPI women councillors alleged harassment and intimidation by Congress members during a municipal meeting in Mancherial to elect Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson, claiming officials and police failed to intervene and that the meeting was postponed amid chaos

Mancherial: BRS and CPI women councillors alleged that their male counterparts from the Congress misbehaved with them and touched them inappropriately in the presence of Labour Minister Dr G Vivek and Peddapalli MP G Vamshikrishna while attending a special meeting held at Kyathanpalli Municipality to elect the chairperson and vice-chairperson on Tuesday.

Briefing the media after coming out of the municipal office, councillors Mittapalli Saritha and Babbera Swarnalatha alleged that Congress councillors, particularly Gurram Srinivas who was in an inebriated condition, misbehaved with them and touched them inappropriately. They said the special officer for the meeting, Sathish, remained a mute spectator, while the Minister, MP and police personnel watched the episode without intervening.

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The women councillors said they were assaulted and misbehaved with when they prevented Srinivas from attempting to take away CPI councillor Muni during the meeting. They expressed regret that officials postponed the meeting without a valid reason. They said they had pleaded with officials, the Minister and police personnel for protection and recalled that the entire process was conducted with the doors locked.

The councillors faulted officials for giving a break under the pretext of allowing them to use the restroom soon after completion of the oath-taking ceremony, allegedly in violation of norms. They stated that their councillors could have been abducted had they used the washrooms. They alleged that Vivek addressed councillors and promised development of Kyathanpalli in an attempt to lure them. “They threatened and terrorised us,” the women councillors lamented.

BRS councillors Shashi and Bhumanna Goud alleged that Congress councillors damaged furniture and attacked officials, resulting in postponement of the meeting as part of a plan to capture the chairperson post. They accused Vivek and Congress councillors of offering inducements, including blank cheques, to poach them.