Balagokulam speech; Party may reprimand Kozhikode Mayor 

KOZHIKODE: Even as the controversy over Mayor Dr Beena Philip attending the program of Balagokulam, a Sangh Parivar organization, is raging, the mayor's absence from a government program also became a controversy. The Mayor was absent from the Quit India Movement anniversary celebrations held yesterday. It was Thottathil Ravindran MLA, who was supposed to preside over the function, who inaugurated the function.

The CPM committees of Kozhikode district protested against the mayor's participation in the Balagokulam program on Sunday morning. The leaders and committees demanded the removal of the mayor for acting carelessly while sitting in the position given by the party. The state leadership has advised the district committee not to take drastic action for the time being and to avoid controversy by limiting the action to measures like a public reprimand.

Earlier, it was announced that the Mayor will participate in the Quit India program organized by PRD and Malabar Christian College History Department. Thottathil Ravindran said that the mayor was not able to attend the program as she was in another meeting. He said that he and the PRD Deputy Director were informed that she would not be able to participate.