Puducherry CM launches signature campaign seeking ouster of Bedi

Puducherry Chief Ministerand senior Congress leader V Narayanasamy on Tuesday launcheda signature campaign by the Secular Democratic Allianceseeking the recall of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi butrepresentatives of DMK, a key ally, were conspicuous by theirabsence.

Launching the campaign to collect signatures from thepublic to urge the Centre to recall Bedi, the Chief Ministeralso made a veiled attack on A Namassivayam, who quit theCabinet and as an MLA on Monday, saying the ruling party wasnot bothered and said ''turncoats` would become irrelevant inpolitics in Puducherry.'' Though representatives of the other allies includingthe Left parties and VCK were present, the DMK which has beenkeeping away from similar protests, did not participate inTuesday's campaign.

The Congress government is dependent on the support ofthe DMK which has three MLAs for its survival as theresignation of Namassivayam and another party MLA has reducedits strength in the 30-Assembly to 12.

''The SDA is a strong one and none can succeed in anyattempt to sabotage the alliance,'' he said.

''The constituents of the alliance should work incoordination and face the Assembly polls here due in the nextfew months,'' he added.

Hitting out at Namassivayam, the chief minister saidthe history of Puducherry would show how ''those shiftingallegiance quite often were ignored by the people as turncoatswould become irrelevant in politics in the Union Territory.'' He said the signature campaign would be carried outintensively and the signatures collected would be presented tothe Centre.

Narayanasamy also said workers of the parties in thealliance would resort to a eight-hour fast here on February 5to reiterate the demand that the Centre recall Bedi as she hadallegedly been blocking several welfare schemes of theterritorial government.

The alliance partners would also be observing a bandhpressing the same demand on February 16.

The chief minister had led a protest earlier thismonth demanding the recall of Bedi.PTI Cor SS PTI PTI