Din in Thrissur Corporation Council as LDF blames UDF for property tax revision stay order

LDF councilors stopped Thrissur Mayor Niji Justin during a protest held at the corporation on Tuesday. | Photo credit: KK NAJEEB

Left Democratic Front (LDF) councilors staged a protest at the Thrissur Corporation council meeting on Tuesday, accusing the United Democratic Front (UDF)-led administration of withholding the Kerala government’s order directing it to implement the Supreme Court judgment on the property tax revision introduced in 2015.

According to the LDF, the Supreme Court struck down the revised property tax rates for the period 2016 to 2022 as the UDF board of the company did not publish the final revision notice in 2015 as required by municipal rules.

Accusation of the opposition

The state government sent a notice to the corporation on September 9, 2026 directing it to implement the court order, LDF said. However, the current UDF administration withheld the council’s communication for almost two months and did not act on the opposition.

LDF councilors demanded the inclusion of the government announcement as an urgent item on the council’s agenda. However, Mayor Niji Justin rang the bell and adjourned the meeting without addressing the issue, sparking further protests.

A staged protest

The councilors then held a sit-in in front of the mayor’s hall. They were forcibly removed by police and arrested in what the LDF described as an attempt to silence democratic dissent.

In a statement, Leader of the Opposition TR Hiran urged the corporation to immediately implement the Supreme Court decision and the subsequent government directive. He warned that the LDF would intensify its agitation if the order was not implemented.

Published – 10 Nov 2026 19:49 IST