K'taka: ZP meeting deferred amid Congress protest

Gulbarga, Jun 29: The Zilla Panchayat (ZP) meeting to be held today, was postponed as the opposition Congress members led by its leader Subash Rathod, locked the meeting hall and prevented the ZP President, Vice-president and Chief Executive Officer.

Before the meeting began, the Congress ZP members locked the meeting hall and stated a dharna, protesting against the curtailment of powers to ZPs by the government.

When ZP President Saibanna S Neeloppagol, Vice-president Sridhar and CEO P C Jaffar tried to enter the meeting hall they were prevented by the Congress members.

Verbal duels ensued between the ruling JD(S) and BJP and the Congress members. After realising that the situation going out of control, the police intervened and pacified them.

Later, the ZP President and Vice president broke opened the doors of meeting hall and but could not hold the meeting due to lack of quorum as opposition members boycotted the meeting.

Later taking to media, opposition leader Subash Rathod alleged that the government was trying to override the ZPs by curtailing powers and interfering in its activities.

UNI