Karnataka govt says wearing of gown left to Mayors' discretion

Nearly two months after Hubballi-Dharwad Mayor Iresh Anchatgeri stopped the tradition of wearing the ceremonial gown, the state government has clarified that wearing the gown is left to the discretion of the Mayors.

In the wake of Anchatgeri's letter to the chief minister urging to do away with the practice of Mayor wearing the gown, Urban Development Department joint secretary Satish Kumar D M replied that he was instructed to inform that wearing the gown has traditional background and wearing the gown is left to the discretion of respective Mayors.

In a letter to the Hubballi-Dharwad Mahanagara Palike (HDMP) commissioner, he stated that Mayors wearing the gown during the municipal corporation meetings and other special occasions is a practice by tradition, but there is no clear mention about it in the KMC Act and rules.

Welcoming the government's move, Mayor Iresh Anchatgeri stated that he would not wear the gown in meetings, while receiving dignitaries or on other occasions.

Anchatgeri wore the gown when he became the Mayor on May 28. He was in gown while chairing the HDMP's general body meetings in June, July and August.

Terming the practice of wearing the gown as 'British culture', Anchatgeri did away with the practice of wearing the gown while receiving the chief minister at the airport on September 4. He did not wore the gown even while receiving President of India Droupadi Murmu and while according civic honour to her in Hubballi on September 26.

The HDMP's general body meeting on September 30 was adjourned sine die by him, when Opposition members staged protest against him saying that he showed disrespect to the post of the Mayor by not wearing the gown. Mayor without gown in the council meeting was for the first time in the history of the HDMP.