Bandh to urge Centre to recall Lt Governor Kiran Bedi called off

The February 16 bandh by theruling Congress led Secular Democratic Alliance to urge theCentre to recall Lt Governor Kiran Bedi has been called off onthe request of various traders and merchants Associations,Chief Minister V Narayanasamy said here on Monday.

He told reporters here that the decision was taken afterthey said it would inconvenience the public.

''The demand has been conceded and the proposed bandh hasbeen called off'', he said.

The Chief Minister, however did not state when it wouldbe next held.

The CM had submitted a memorandum to President Ram NathKovind on February 10, urging him to recall the former IPSofficer, saying she was running a 'tughlaq durbar.' He complained that Bedi was 'autocratic' and wasinterfering in the administration, besides 'impeding' theimplementation of various proposals of the elected government.

The SDA had staged a four day agitation in the UnionTerritory from January 8, demanding recall of Bedi, besidesgoing on a day-long hunger strike on February 5 on the issue.

Bedi, a former IPS officer, and Narayanasamy have been atloggerheads over various issues ever since she was appointedLt Governor in May 2016, with the ruling Congress accusing herof going against the decisions of the government.

The Congress had in December, 2019 written to thePresident, seeking the recall of Bedi, who has maintained thatbeing the Administrator of the Union Territory she was onlydischarging her duties as per law.