Thiruvananthapuram Mayor denies misbehaving with KSRTC bus driver

Thiruvananthapuram: Arya Rajendran, Mayor of the state capital, denied media reports of either she or her family members misbehaving with a KSRTC bus driver on Monday.

The incident was reported to have taken place on Sunday night.

On Monday, the driver, Yadu, was asked to report before the District Transport Officer to give his explanation and was told not to join duty.

While the police took immediate action against him, the police are yet to register a case based on his complaint against the Mayor and her husband, CPI(M) legislator Sachin Dev, who according to the driver, waylaid his bus and parked their car in front preventing him from doing his duty.

Speaking to the media here, Rajendran said the incident involved a superfast state-run bus being driven dangerously while they were returning after a private visit.

“The bus was being driven rashly and on a few occasions it nearly hit our private car. We were upset because the driver of the bus showed us a sign which should not have been shown to women and that is why we decided to react,” said Rajendran.

“Contrary to media reports, we did not waylay the bus. We saw the bus stopped before a traffic signal and we then got out of the car and our car moved to the parking area. The driver behaved very rudely and we saw him throwing away a packet after putting something in his mouth,” added Rajendran.

“We decided to react because we were two women and if this is the way people behave towards ladies and if we don’t react, what will happen to our sisters, mothers and other women,” said Rajendran and added that this driver has previous cases against him.

However, Yadu denied all these allegations.

“I am only a temporary driver with the KSRTC and they are very big people with power and authority. I never misbehaved with them. It was they who did all that and to cover up their faults, they accused me. I was made to sit in the police station from 10.30 p.m. on Sunday till 10.30 a.m. on Monday. I have now been told that I need not join duty. I have never done any wrong and even the police did not register a case which I gave against them. I have now decided to fight the case, as I am innocent,” said Yadu.

Meanwhile, the police reached the home of Rajendran to take her statement on the case that she had given.

Rajendran was in the news after she was sworn in as the youngest mayor in the country in 2020. She later married present Kerala Legislative Assembly CPI(M) legislator Sachin Dev, who is the youngest MLA in the current Kerala Assembly. She was again in the news when she arrived with her newborn baby at her office.