Recall Bedi who is running a 'tughlaq durbar,' Pondy CM tells President

Taking his fight withLt Governor Kiran Bedi to the President of India, ChiefMinister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy on Wednesday urged RamNath Kovind to recall the former IPS officer, saying she wasrunning a 'tuglaq durbar.' In a detailed memorandum presented to Kovind in thenational capital, Narayansamy said ''even during French regime,we were not ill-treated like this.'' He complained that Bedi was 'autocratic' and wasinterfering in the administration, besides 'impeding' theimplementation of various proposals of the elected government.

The chief minister, who has been at odds with Bedi over anumber of issues concerning the union territory since herappointment there in 2016, had a half an hour meeting withthe President.

Speaking to PTI over the phone from New Delhi, he saidhe had presented the memorandum containing the various schemesallegedly impeded by Bedi and that he was accompanied by loneLok Sabha member from Puducherry V Vaithilingam and hiscabinet colleagues M Kandasamy and Malladi Krishna Rao.

''The proposal of the government to introduce 10 percentquota for students from government schools and holding NEETcertificates intending to do medical education had also beenfacing hurdles as the Lt Governor to whom the proposal wassent had forwarded it to the Centre'', he said.

In the memorandum, made available to the media atPuducherry, Narayansamy told the President that ''Dr Kiran Bediis running Tughlaq Darbar in undemocratic (manner) and inviolation of Rules of Law.'' Accusing her of funcioning like a ''typical autocrat'', healleged that she was making unilateral decisions inadministrative, financial and policy matters totally inviolation of Rules of Business of Government of Puducherry,1963 and Constitutional principles.

He charged Bedi with 'burying' the democratic setup anddemocratic institutions and said she was a 'danger' to thedemocracy.

''Even during French regime, we were not ill-treatedlike this. They respected the people and never treated us asslaves. That is why veteran Indian freedom fighters like(Rabindranath) Tagore, Subramaniya Bharathi, etc. came toPuducherry to fight effectively against the British rule inother parts of India,'' Narayansamy said.

The happenings in Puducherry were 'brutal murder' ofdemocracy ''and being the custodian for the Constitution ofIndia, we humbly request to kindly intervene into this issueand save democracy and federal system and people of Puducherryby removing Dr Kiran Bedi,'' as Lt Governor, he told Kovind.

''This also will uphold the dignity of the post ofLieutenant Governor,'' he added.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she never left herresidence but once publicly reprimand a medical officer instrong words, he said.

Many cabinet decisions like the implementation ofUniversal Health Scheme, distribution of mobile tablets toprovide e-learning education during the pandemic, providing 50percent reservation to government in private medical colleges,and distribution of free rice scheme have either been delayedby Bedi or modified by her, he claimed.

''Dr Kiran Bedi is arbitrarily laying conditions in allthe welfare schemes without following any Rules/guidelines.

This badly affects the implementation of the welfareschemes and thereby many poor/downtrodden people of Puducherryare left without benefits from the Government,'' he said.

Addressing reporters in New Delhi after meeting Kovind,Narayanasamy said he submitted to the President the documentscontaining one lakh signatures collected from the people bythe ruling dispensation for the recall of Bedi.

The Lt Governor had issued 'arbitrary' orders to closethe government owned AFT mill, Swadeshi Cotton mills andBharathi Mill in the union territory, he added.

The territorial government was facing difficulty indisposing off the land belonging to the AFT mill there as itintended to use the sale proceeds to pay the workers there.

''The Lt Governor had also declined to bring down theCovid Tax (imposed on liquor products) and the government feltfor the need for the reduction in the tax as the incidence ofthe pandemic had fallen in Puducherry'', the CM added.

He said he had also apprised the President of thehardships faced by the people because of the continuation ofthe barricades in a radius of 500 metres from Raj nivas(office cum residence of Lt Governor).

''People are not able to move about following deploymentof Central reserve police forces although normalcy hasreturned here'', he said.

The security there was earlier stepped up in the wakeof a dharna undertaken by the ruling party against Bedi in thewake of her consistent face-off with the government.

The SDA had staged a four day agitation in the UT fromJanuary 8, demanding recall of Bedi, besides going on aday-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 appointedthe Lt Governor in May 2016, with the ruling Congress accusingher of going against the decisions of the government.

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

Meanwhile, the Narayanasany-led delegation met AdditionalSecretary to Union Home Ministry Govind Mohan in Delhi anddiscussed various developmental issues of Puducherry, sourcesclose to Chief Minister here said.