TVK MLA MR Pallavi walks out of GCC event after Chennai mayor refuses to hand over candle to light lamp

CHENNAI: Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam MLA MR Pallavi on Thursday walked out of a Greater Chennai Corporation inauguration event midway in after Mayor R Priya skipped giving the MLA the candle to light the lamp. The MLA and Mayor were to inagurate school classroom buildings in Perambur and Pulianthope areas. In the first event at an Urdu school in Perambur, the mayor first lit the lamp. The MLA, who was standing next to her tried to get the candle to light it up next but the mayor refused to give it to her and gave it to the official next to her.Visibly humiliated, the MLA walked out of the lamp-lighting event. While officials convinced the MLA to come back for the next event, in the other event which was also a school classroom inauguration ceremony , the MLA refused to get the candle from the mayor. Speaking to TOI, Mayor Priya said she had followed protocol and had no intention of sidelining the MLA. “It was customary for IAS officers to light the lamp after the Mayor. I’ve been practicing that for all the events. The MLA must have had patience,” she said.Speaking to reporters, MLA Pallavi described the Mayor's act as “arrogant” and remarked that “it won’t last long.” She added, “I have moved on with a forgiving nature, just like Chief Minister Joseph Vijay.”Pallavi also said she was not interested in lighting the lamp at the second event and attended it only as a courtesy after being invited by officials.