Lt Governor Kiran Bedi cancels Chief Minister’s order on social media

Bedi also posted a copy of her order on her personal Twitter handle.  She tweeted, “If Puducherry has to be a progressive Union Territory it cannot be retrograde in communications. Hence @CM_ Puducherry’s order stands cancelled: @PMOIndia (sic).” 

Bedi has been camping in Delhi for the last few days during which she has met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and others. The Puducherry government circular dated January 2 had said the Chief Minister had directed all the officers, heads of departments and employees of government-owned undertakings to immediately desist from using social media such as Twitter, WhatsApp etc for official work. 

“Any foreign country can get access to these official communications and documents uploaded which is a violation of the Official Secrets Act,” it had said. 

Narayanasamy had issued the circular even as Bedi was pushing with her plan to promote WhatsApp communication among officials.  The government’s circular was seen as a counter to Bedi suspending a Puducherry Civil Service officer for posting an “obscene” video clip on the WhatsApp group. 

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has stayed Bedi’s December 30 order suspending the Registrar of Cooperative Societies, A S Sivakumar, an official said. He added that Sivakumar resumed duty as Registrar of Cooperative Societies after his suspension was stayed. EC in its letter to the Puducherry government said “the Lt Governor ought to have taken the Commission into confidence and consulted it before placing him under suspension.”