The Congress and allies allege that Bedi obstructs development work and welfare measures of the Puducherry government.
The agitation by the ruling Congress-led Secular Democratic Alliance in Puducherry, demanding to recall Lt Governor Kiran Bedi for “impeding developmental plans and welfare measures of the elected government,” entered its second day on Saturday. The indefinite protest started in front of Raj Niwas, the office and residence of Kiran Bedi, on January 8.
Besides Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, PCC president A V Subramanian, Ministers, Congress legislators, workers and delegates of different wings of the CPI, CPI(M) and VCK participated in the agitation.
However, leaders and workers of the DMK, an ally of the Congress were absent on both the days of the agitation.
VCK leader Tol Thirumavalavan and Tamil Nadu CPI Secretary Mutharasan were among those who addressed the participants and criticised the “undemocratic style of functioning of the Lt Governor”.
Muthursan said that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi believed in democracy and welfare of the people, he should intervene and ensure that Bedi is replaced
“She was only an officer appointed by the Centre to the post of Lt Governor and has no right to stall welfare measures of the elected government,” he said.
He also alleged that the Centre was adopting a fascist and autocratic attitude in trying to end the ongoing agitation by farmers on the borders of Delhi.
The Chief Minister had alleged that the PM and Bedi “hatched a conspiracy to dismantle the separate (union territory) status of Puducherry and merge it with Tamil Nadu.”
He had also accused them of being keen on depriving the people of Puducherry of their rights, a charge already rubbished by the Lt Governor.
Bedi, a former IPS officer, and Narayanasamy have been at loggerheads over various issues ever since she was appointed Lt Governor in May 2016, with the ruling Congress accusing her of going against decisions of the government. Earlier, Narayanasamy also conducted similar protests along with his allies in 2018 demanding the Union government to withdraw the Lieutenant Governor.
Source: The News Minute