Puducherry: Stir by SDA, demanding recall of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi enters third day

The agitation by the rulingCongress-led Secular Democratic Alliance (SDA) in Puducherrydemanding the recall of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi entered thethird day here on Sunday.

Participants including the Chief Minister VNarayanasamy were seen holding placards with slogans urgingBedi ''to go back''.

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Ministers and legislators of the ruling Congress andleaders and workers of the parties affiliated to the SDA(except the DMK) participated in the stir which began onFriday.

For the second day, Narayanasamy and the otherprotestors slept at the venue on Saturday night.

The opposition AIADMK and the BJP however, describedthe agitation by the SDA as ''a politically motivatedinitiative and an attempt to cover up the Congressgovernment's failure during the last four and half years tofulfill poll promises.'' The Centre has deployed Central Armed Police force andCentral Industrial Security Force personnel to maintain lawand order here.

The SDA had planned to picket Raj Nivas, the office-cum-residence of the Lt Governor, as part of the protestagainst Bedi for her alleged failure to approve the proposalsof the government for various welfare and developmentalschemes.

With the police denying permission to hold the protestin front of the Raj Nivas, the ruling SDA shifted the venue toMaraimalai Adigal Salai (more than one kilometre away).

This is the second time that the ruling Congress hasembarked upon an `anti Kiran Bedi agitation` as the party hadheld a similar stir in February 2019.

Bedi, a former IPS officer, and Narayanasamy have beenat loggerheads over various issues ever since she wasappointed Lt Governor in May 2016, with the ruling Congressaccusing her of going against decisions of the government.PTICor SSPTI PTI

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)