In what could be a first in Kerala, a councillor, BJP’s R Sugathan of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, who was detained under the Kerala Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act (KAAPA), took his oath of office at the Viyyur Central Jail at 11 am on Tuesday.
The oath-taking came a day after the Kerala High Court directed the state to facilitate the ceremony inside the prison, following a previous order declaring Sugathan’s earlier oath invalid.
On June 24, the High Court declared invalid the oaths taken by 20 BJP councillors of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. The councillors, elected in the 2025 local body elections, had taken their oath in the name of Mother India, the organisation’s martyrs and Gurudeva, in violation of the Kerala Municipality Act.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan directed all 20 councillors to retake the oath within four weeks, holding that elected representatives may take the oath only in the name of God or by solemn affirmation, without any additions or modifications. Accordingly, 19 BJP councillors retook the oath at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office on the day the judgment was delivered. Sugathan, however, was unable to do so as he was in prison.
Allowing Sugathan to retake the oath, the High Court observed that “extraordinary situations call for extraordinary decisions”. The court also noted that if Sugathan was unable to take the oath, the ruling front in the corporation would lose its majority, adding that the people’s mandate must be respected in a democracy.
In compliance with the High Court’s order, Sugathan took the oath in the name of God. Thiruvananthapuram Mayor V V Rajesh, the Corporation Secretary and officials from the Mayor’s Office were present during the ceremony.
The unprecedented oath-taking has sparked sharp political reactions, particularly from the LDF. S P Deepak, the LDF parliamentary party leader and a councillor in the corporation, said the ceremony was held only because of legal compulsion.”The oath-taking inside Viyyur Central Jail is something that has never happened before. Even the court observed that this was not a situation that should ordinarily arise and permitted it only out of legal necessity,” he told reporters.
“The BJP leadership is responsible for pushing matters to this extent,” he added.
Responding to the criticism, Mayor V V Rajesh said the allegations had already been answered. “We are all public representatives who have participated in political protests and have had cases registered against us. The final decision in such cases rests with the courts. Therefore, we will respond to the Opposition’s allegations only based on judicial decisions,” he said, defending the continuation of Sugathan’s tenure.
Meanwhile, the LDF staged a protest outside the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation office, alleging that the oath-taking was the result of an understanding between the UDF and the BJP.
