Puducherry CM still on dharna at Raj Nivas

Narayanasamy, his ministers and party MLAs had on Wednesday night slept on a pavement close to the Raj Nivas wearing black shirts. They have been demanding that that the Lt Governor accord sanctions to 39 government proposals, including free rice scheme. Functionaries of different wings of the ruling Congress and the DMK have also joined the protest.

Meanwhile, Bedi left for New Delhi early on Thursday morning under tight security of the Rapid Action Force (RAF). Barricades were erected around the Lt Governor’s office to keep agitators at bay as a section of volunteers of different political parties raised slogans against the deployment of the RAF around Raj Nivas and at various vantage points.

A source in the Raj Nivas said that she would return on February 20 and has invited the Chief Minister for discussion over the issues raised by him on February 21.

Chief Minister Narayanasamy has questioned the need for calling 400 Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel when they are conducting a peaceful dharna in front of Raj Nivas.

He tweeted on Thursday, “What was the need for calling 400 RAF personnel when we are sitting on a peaceful dharna....that too for attending a private function for your self promotion and publicity stunts. But we are still serving food for your RAF guests.” Your attempt to instill fear psychosis will never succeed. We are Puducherrians, Narayanasamy said.

Asserting that their protest would continue till the government proposals were cleared, the Chief Minister said, “Even if it is not possible to immediately concede all the 39 pleas, the Lt Governor can give her nod to some of the important schemes including the free rice scheme and grants.”

“When people’s representatives are holding agitation in support of their charter of 39 demands since Wednesday seeking approval of Lt Governor, it is amusing indeed that Bedi had left for Chennai en route Delhi,” PWD Minister A Namassivayam said. “This shows that she does not respect the popular government. This is the height of her vanity.”

Pledging his support to the sit-in dharna by Chief Minister Narayanasamy, DMK president MK Stalin held Lt Governor Kiran Bedi responsible for the unusual political situation in the Union Territory and he called it unconstitutional.

Stalin spoke to Narayanswamy and extended his party’s support to the agitation. Later in a tweet, Stalin said, “Lt Governor herself being responsible for creating an unusual political situation in Puducherry and is against the tenets of Constitution.” Stating that this was an example of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre using the Governor as their party’s General Secretary, he said “a question arises again whether there is a need for the post of a Governor.”

Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Thursday said that Chief Minister V Narayanasamy did not wait for her reply and staged a dharna for no reason. 

Speaking to reporters at Chennai airport, Bedi said, “He wrote a letter on February 7 with some demands, some are old, some are settled, and some are his own views. I would have written a reply just like to his previous letters, but this time he did not wait for my response and jumped into protest. He did not mention any deadline for replying to his letter and suddenly jumped into a dharna.”

Narayanasamy by staging dharna in front of Raj Nivas, the office of Lt Governor in Puducherry, had created a nationwide controversy as this is the first time that a Chief Minister had staged protest against a Lt Governor.

“This is unprecedented. Shrouding and sieging the entire Raj Nivas is absolutely illegal. Chief Minister who should be a law maker has turned into a law breaker,” said Kiran Bedi.

She also said that due to the dharna, she could not attend the evening meetings as she was locked inside. “If I would have tried to go out there would have been a scuffle. I sent Superintendent of Police to know what he wanted and asked a letter from him, but he did not give,” said Kiran Bedi.

She further said that she wrote a letter to him stating that she will return on February 20 and asked him to meet her on the next day. Even after submitting the letter he is still staging dharna which shows that his intention is not getting work done but to hamper the ongoing works, said Kiran Bedi.

Blaming Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy of indulging in cheap politics, AIADMK legislature party leader A Anbazhagan on Thursday held them responsible for the deterioration in the law and order situation here. He urged the Centre to recall the Lt Governor, who had brought a bad name to the Union government. Talking to reporters, Anbazhagan said that the law and order is not under the control of the government and paramilitary forces were summoned to maintain it. The people here are in a state of fear. The Lt Governor and the Chief Minister are responsible for this state of affairs, he said, adding that the Union government should recall the Lt Governor and dismiss the Congress government in Puducherry. Anbazhagan charged that the dharna by the Chief Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and leaders of alliance parties, is a cheap political gimmick with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections. Condemning the Lt Governor and Chief Minister for forcefully implementing the helmet law here, he said the AIADMK legislators broke helmets in the Assembly premises in protest. To this, the Lt Governor reacted stating that it is case of contempt of court. Anbazhagan challenged that if she could file a contempt of court case against them they are prepared to face any action.

Union Minister of State and BJP leader Pon Radhakrishnan on Thursday made light of the dharna being staged by Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy against Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, saying such agitations were common occurrence in the run-up to elections. Such agitations were clear indication that the elections were round the corner, he told reporters here. Narayanasamy and others are on the dharna in front of the Raj Nivas in Puducherry since Wednesday demanding that that the Lt Governor accord sanctions to 39 government proposals, including free rice scheme, pending with her. To a question on DMK president MK Stalin extending support to the dharna, Radhakrishnan likened it to seasonal Australian migratory birds flocking to India and returning later.  On BJP’s alliance for Lok Sabha polls, he said negotiations were on with a few parties. “There will not be any problem in the alliance talks,” he said without elaborating further.