Now, Pondy CM cites conditions to meet L-G

With an invitation to the Chief Minister and his Cabinet colleagues to meet her at the Raj Nivas on Sunday evening, the Lt Governor cut short her trip to New Delhi and reached Puducherry this afternoon. However, the Chief Minister laid certain conditions, including that the venue be the conference hall of the Chief Secretariat, the OSD of the Lt Governor should not be present and all the secretaries and chief secretary be present with files.

However, the Lt Governor was not ready to accept these conditions and all secretaries and chief secretary left the Raj Nivas after having discussions with the Lt Governor. Meanwhile, Bedi in a letter to the Chief Minister said that she had cut short her trip in New Delhi and reached Puducherry to hold the meeting with him, to avoid inconvenience to the people of Puducherry due to his politically motivated agitation.

Pointing out the conditions laid by the Chief Minister the Lt Governor said that it is she who invited him for the meeting and that he is well aware that no file is pending with Raj Nivas in respect of any of the issues raised by him. It appears that the Chief Minister want to stretch this matter unduly as it suits him politically, she said.

“Had we met today, I could have cleared your doubts and moved ahead in taking the UT forward in all aspects,” Bedi said. “Also in our meeting today we would have also discussed the possible date and venue for the open house,” she added. If he still seek for a meeting to discuss, he could inform her office, Bedi added.

Meanwhile, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan visited Narayansamy at the agitation pandal and expressed his support.

Later he told news persons that Lt Governor Kiran Bedi is acting as a stumbling block for the elected government here. Demanding the immediate recall of Kiran Bedi, Thirumavalavan said it is shocking that she failed to initiate any steps for talks. Bedi should take steps for early talks, he demanded.

Expressing solidarity with Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy who has been staging a dharna for the fifth day in protest of the interference of Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Kiran Bedi, DMK president MK Stalin on Sunday urged the Centre to immediately recall the Lt Governor from the union territory. 

Condemning the inaction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue even after the Chief Minister’s week-long dharna, Stalin who visited Puducherry and personally extended support to Narayanasamy, said the BJP, if it were courageous enough, should face the polls and capture power in Puducherry, instead of gaining backdoor entry through Kiran Bedi.

Claiming that the L-G has not cleared 39 files related to public welfare, Stalin who is also the Leader of Opposition accused Bedi of trying to turn Puducherry in to Tihar prison and incarcerate its people.

A sarcastic Stalin also drew a parallel between the Chinnathambi wild elephant issue in Tirupur and the political standoff in the union territory and said the Centre’s handling of the issue was a proof of the fact that there was no link between democratic norms and the Prime Minister.

Urging the Centre to immediately intervene and end the impasse on the people’s issue, Stalin asked the Centre to immediately recall Bedi from Puducherry.

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislature party leader R Siva on Sunday urged Puducherry Speaker V Vaithilingam to intervene as an extraordinary situation prevails in Puducherry and to find an amicable settlement to the issue. In a letter to the Speaker, Siva said that the he should take steps and request the Centre to send a senior official of the Union Home Ministry to Puducherry to resolve the issue or appoint the Governor of adjoining state as temporary Lt Governor for Puducherry. Siva said the Lt Governor leaving Puducherry without shouldering any responsibility shows her ‘authoritarian’ attitude. Not even at the time of French-India agitation so many para-military forces were deployed in Puducherry. But now, when the Chief Minister and others are on a peaceful agitation, “a large number of STF personnel were deployed and the people here are panicking,” he added.