Jaipur:
BJP and Congress councillors clashed Monday during a general meeting of the Jaipur Greater Municipal Corporation over land leases on a 100-foot road in the city’s Jagatpura neighborhood.
Visuals from the meeting – shared by Mayor Saumya Gurjar – showed a horde of BJP and Congress councillors massed on the floor of the House, pushing, shoving, and jostling, amid sloganeering and waving of placards, including those targeting her and shouting ‘murdabad’.
The BJP – which controls the state government after winning the November 2023 election – has 87 councillors in its camp. The Congress has 53 councillors and there are 15 independents.
The ruckus began after the BJP’s Ramswaroop Meena and Shravani Devi raised the Jagaputra land issue, and demanded action against the government officer who allegedly issued incorrect land leases in Jagatpura, which is seen as a new and upcoming locality home to posh residential colonies, shopping malls and major institutions, and even a few commercial units.
The Jagatpura area was supposed to be held up as a model for city development, but there has been criticism over the haphazard town planning, particularly with regard to permits for building shops along the arterial 100 Foot Road.
In dramatic scenes Meena even prostrated himself before the Mayor to push his demand. He had claimed Ms Gurjar did not want to discuss the land lease issue. And a rival lawmaker also tore a paper out of Shravani Devi’s hands, triggering a fierce clash between the two women.
Protesting councilors had demanded the Mayor order cancellation of such leases.
This was the first meeting of the councillors in 18 months.
The ruckus led to a 30-minute break in proceedings which resumed with little change, as there was more chaos immediately afterwards.