Puducherry: Cong, allies call off stir against Lt Governor day ahead of schedule

The ruling Congress-ledSecular Democratic Alliance (SDA) in Puducherry on Sundayended its three-day old agitation demanding the recall of LtGovernor Kiran Bedi, a day ahead of the original schedule,citing Pongal festivities.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, who addressed theparticipants on Sunday, said as the Pongal festival was beingcelebrated in the union territory the number of days of theprotest was reduced from four to three.

The protest was launched on January 8 with the rulingparty accusing Bedi of ''impeding developmental plans andwelfare measures of the elected government.'' Initially, the alliance had planned for an indefiniteagitation but scaled it down to four days He, however, said the agitation against Bedi would becarried out in different modes, adding a signature campaign tourge the Lt Governor to leave Puducherry would be held onJanuary 22 and a demonstration would be held on January 29.

Also, Narayanasamy said a day-long bandh betweenFebruary 15 and 20 were among the other protests planned bythe ruling SDA.

He lashed out at Bedi who allegedly had been ''impedingall developmental plans with the support of the Prime MinisterNarendra Modi.'' ''There is a clear plan on the part of the NDAgovernment at the Centre to dismantle the separate status ofPuducherry and to merge it with neighbouring Tamil Nadu,'' healleged.

''We will not let this happen and we will do anysacrifice...to protect the separate identity of Puducherry,''Narayanasamy said in an emotional address.

Meanwhile on the third day of the stir, participantsincluding the Chief Minister were seen holding placards withslogans urging Bedi ''to go back''.

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.

Meanwhile, Welfare Minister M Kandasamy commencedwhat he called an ''indefinite dharna'' on the premises of theLegislative Assembly, to urge the Lt Governor to approvearound 15 schemes relating to the portfolios held by himincluding Welfare.PTI Cor SSPTI PTI