The Left Democratic Front (LDF) parliamentary party and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] have condemned the alleged unceremonious exclusion of Mayor M. Anilkumar from a function attended by President Droupadi Murmu in the city on Friday (October 24).
President Murmu was the chief guest at the centenary celebrations of St. Teresa’s College. Mayor Anilkumar described the move as an insult to the city. The LDF parliamentary party said that the exclusion of the Mayor amounted to violation of democratic principles, noting that he had faced similar treatment in the past. It alleged that such repeated actions were politically motivated, driven by discomfort over the popularity of the Mayor and the LDF-led governing committee he heads.
The LDF accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of routinely violating constitutional norms. They claimed that the Central government, led by these groups, had consistently neglected federal principles and decentralisation of governance. The exclusion of the Mayor from the President’s function was a continuation of this trend.
“The resistance against communal and fascist forces will continue, as will programmes based on the LDF’s alternative model. Politically motivated actions regardless of who initiates them must end. Citizens of Kochi should protest irrespective of their party affiliations,” the LDF statement said.
The CPI(M) district committee also condemned the exclusion, calling it a political vendetta. In a statement, the committee said that while the Mayor was initially invited, he was excluded at the behest of the President’s office, according to available information. The committee also recalled a previous instance when the Mayor was excluded from a function attended by the Prime Minister.
“This reflects the Centre’s approach to local self-government bodies. Constitutional institutions engaging in political bias are highly dangerous. Excluding the elected head of the city just ahead of local body elections is a conspiracy by the BJP and the office of Union Minister of State Suresh Gopi,” the district committee alleged.
It further said that this was yet another example of the BJP’s anti-democratic stance and registered a strong protest against the alleged attempt to politicise even a function at an educational institution.
When contacted, the St. Teresa’s College authorities said that the name of the Mayor was included in the list of invitees that was forwarded from the college according to the protocol. The final list of invitees was fixed by the President’s office, they maintained.
Published – October 24, 2025 08:49 pm IST
