Pondy CM 'playing politics' by making untrue allegations instead of working in unison: Bedi

Rejecting the Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy's charges against her on the issue of free rice scheme as nothing but a "misinformation" and "misrepresentation of facts," Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said the former was "playing politics" by levelling untrue allegations. Bedi's response comes a day after the CM reiterated his allegation that she was 'disrupting' implementation of the scheme for the poor, during the lockdown in the Union Territory.

"When it is time to come together for the containment of COVID-19 and work in unison for ensuring safety and good health of the people of Puducherry the Chief Minister is playing politics," she said in a whatsapp message to the media on Friday. In her message, Bedi said, "the Chief Minister continues to make allegations far from truth against her and the Centre when the facts are to the contrary." Listing the benefits extended by the Centre under various schemes to the Union Territory, she said a sum of Rs 500 has been credited to the bank account of each of the 83,000 women beneficiaries here during the first week of the current month involving defrayment of Rs 4.13 crores, under the Pradhan Mantri Jhan Dhan Yojana.

The central government has released through Food Corporation of India 9,425 tonnes of rice to Puducherry for distribution. Nearly 60 percent of the beneficiaries have been issued the rice, she said and claimed that the territorial administration has received a central grant of Rs 424.50 crores which is part of its annual grant.

This apart, the health department here had also received additional assistance of Rs 3.80 crores, she added. Attacking Narayanasamy, she said during these circumstances the Chief Minister was trying to "masquerade" the facts.

She rejected the criticism of the Chief Minister on the free rice scheme meant for the BPL families by the Centre, in the context of COVID 19 situation. She felt that the Chief Minister should work in unison during the present crisis instead of doing politics.

Later, speaking to reporters here, the Chief Minister alleged that Bedi has been threatening government officials and inflicts mental torture on those from the Excise and Civil Supplies departments during the lockdown. Noting that the territorial administration was going ahead with its "good record" in combating the COVID-19, he said the Lt Governor had been putting obstacles.

"This act of Bedi is a total violation of the recent High court order that she cannot function independently," he pointed out. The government is mulling legal recourse to rein in the Lt governor from breaching the court order passed recently on a petition filed by a Congress MLA.