Belagavi Corporation row: Protests over AIMIM member’s remarks

BELAGAVI Administrative tensions reached a boiling point at the Belagavi City Corporation following a fierce verbal clash between municipal employees and elected council members. The controversy erupted during a stormy council meeting when All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen member Shahid Khan Pathan publicly criticized the municipal administration, alleging that incompetent officials were mishandling basic civic responsibilities such as ward water supply. The remarks triggered immediate outrage among municipal staff. Corporation Deputy Commissioner Lakshmi Nippanikar strongly condemned the comments, alleging that the member used derogatory language. The confrontation escalated dramatically during a recess when the deputy commissioner walked out of the assembly hall, trading accusations and vowing to take strict legal action. Expressing deep frustration, the senior officer asserted that officials refuse to bow to pressure and challenged political interference in administrative duties. Following the heated exchange, hundreds of municipal employees staged an intense one-and-a-half-hour protest in front of the corporation office, demanding formal apologies and disciplinary action against the council member. Protesters argued that verbal attacks demoralize frontline public servants striving to address civic challenges amidst resource constraints. Local MLA Asif Sait rushed to the municipal headquarters to defuse the escalating crisis. After holding closed-door consultations with Mayor Preeti Kamakar, Deputy Mayor Hanumantha Kongali, and Corporation Commissioner Karthik M, the legislator addressed the protesting workforce. MLA Sait successfully persuaded employees to call off the demonstration by assuring them that the dispute would be formally addressed and amicably resolved during the upcoming council session, restoring calm to the city administration.