Never opposed honour to Kambar

BELGAUM: Mayor Manda Balekundri, who along with her deputy Renu Killekar voted against giving Civic Reception to Kannada writer and Jnanpith awardee Chandrashekhar Kambar in the Council meeting held on November 30, has apparently lied to the government.Manda, in her reply to the show cause notice to the government on Friday, has stated that the Council never opposed honouring Kambar and passed a unanimous resolution in this regard in the continued meeting held the next day.It can be recalled that Mayor Manda, Deputy Mayor Renu and 24 others voted against, and 10 in favour of honouring Kambar. Eighteen Kannada and Urdu linguistic corporators remained absent for the meeting as they declared that they would never accept Manda as Mayor and would not attend meetings that she chairs.Mayor Manda, in her reply addressed to Government Secretary (City Corporation 02) Urban Development department has stated that only one corporator opposed honouring Kambar for his stand towards making school education Kannada medium. Though the meeting continued the next day, on December 1, a unanimous resolution on giving Civic Reception to Kambar was not passed. Mayor Manda, in her reply has stated that the adjourned meeting had passed a unanimous resolution to honour Kambar.However, official sources told Express that the Mayor was lying as the issue was not taken-up in the adjourned meeting and no mention of Kambar was recorded in the next day’s proceedings which was confirmed by corporators who attended the adjourned meeting. Kannada and Urdu corporators said that the Mayor gave false information to protect her post.