Thiruvananthapuram | Former DGP R Sreelekha on Sunday clarified that she had given a letter to Corporation Mayor V V Rajesh expressing her intent to resign as councillor, as she was dejected over the various works in her ward getting delayed indefinitely.
In a video message on her YouTube channel, Sreelekha, the BJP councillor from Sasthamangalam ward in Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, said that "telling a DGP to do a police constable's duty for five years" would make that officer have a lot of difficulty in doing so.
"But facing those difficulties, I contested for the post of councillor and am doing the work associated with that position," she said.
She further said that she has not resigned from the party and will continue as its proud member till she dies.
"I believe BJP is the best national political party in the country. I am not interested in joining any other party as I am an ardent devotee of Modi ji," Sreelekha said.
The councillor explained that she was under extreme work pressure with no rest even on Sundays due to pubic commitments of visiting people's homes for every issue, including deaths, weddings or children's illness.
"However, after it exceeds a certain limit, we feel we are unable to do it," she said.
Sreelekha further said that there were a lot of small and big issues in the Sasthamangalam ward, like lack of an Anganwadi or primary health centre, damaged roads, non-functional street lights and the need for a high mast light.
When she forwarded proposals for addressing these issues to Mayor V V Rajesh, he would promptly send them to the concerned department.
"But the people working in the departments would delay it, probably because they have been in the corporation during the 45-year-long CPI(M) rule," she said.
She also said that in her office, her printer and wifi were not functioning, and even her chair was in poor condition, causing back problems.
"I was working in such conditions for several months. All this affected me, and I became very sad. That is why I sent a letter to the Mayor detailing the various works that have been delayed and expressing my inability to continue as a councillor if those works are not completed. I also told him that I was considering resigning due to these reasons," Sreelekha said.
She said that on September 30, she became very ill and was hospitalised and while there she came across some messages against her in a WhatsApp group.
Even though she was hospitalised, she replied to those messages, saying that she has forwarded a letter to the Mayor indicating her intention to resign and will forward the same to the Collector.
"But, later, leaders of the party came and comforted me and therefore, I am continuing as councillor now. At the moment, I will only be able to handle urgent matters," she said.
The issue surfaced after a message purportedly posted by Sreelekha in a WhatsApp group of residents of her ward said she had submitted her resignation to the Mayor and would hand over a copy to the District Collector on October 5.
While Rajesh had initially said that he had received the letter but did not forward it to the Corporation Secretary, he later denied that the communication existed.
The BJP came to power in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation for the first time last year, securing the support of 51 councillors, including an Independent, in the 101-member civic body.
Sreelekha’s continuation as a BJP councillor is crucial for the party, as it has only a narrow majority in the Corporation due to the support of an Independent councillor.
Currently serving as the state vice president of the BJP, Sreelekha contested the Assembly election from Vattiyoorkavu in April but lost to Congress leader K Muraleedharan.
