Thiruvananthapuram: Museum Police’s attempt to allegedly seize a microphone set up for a protest against chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at Manaveeyam Veedhi, ahead of a programme attended by actor Prakash Raj, triggered a controversy on Friday.Protesters alleged that the police reached the venue before the programme and tried to forcibly take away the microphone, citing absence of permission from the city corporation. The move led to a heated exchange between the police and protesters. Subsequently, the police allowed the programme to proceed.The controversy comes amid allegations that the organisers had not secured the mandatory permission from the corporation to hold the event. The civic body had written to the police, requesting them to ensure that the programme was not allowed to take place.However, Thiruvananthapuram mayor V V Rajesh said the corporation would seek an explanation from the police regarding the incident.“The organisers had not obtained permission from the corporation. We had written to the police requesting them to take action. We will seek clarity from the police on what exactly happened and take further action accordingly,” Rajesh said.The police are yet to provide an explanation regarding the alleged attempt to seize the equipment, while the mayor has indicated that the corporation would examine the matter.
