Narayanasamy continues tirade against BJP-led NDA, Kiran Bedi

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Tuesday alleged that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre intends to ensure that the Congress government in Puducherry should not function and implement welfare schemes. Addressing workers of the ruling Congress during a demonstration in neighboring Samipillaithottam, the Chief Minister said: "the Centre intends to see to it that the Congress government in Puducherry does not function and has sent the Lt Governor here." "Whoever is sent to Puducherry and however much our schemes are impeded we will continue to discharge our duties to ameliorate a lot of the people through the coordinated working of the Congress and DMK and its alliance partners," he said.

Narayanasamy's statement comes a day after he alleged that Bedi behaves as if "she is the country's president" and urged her to not run a "parallel administration". Narayanasamy and Bedi have largely been at odds since she was appointed the Lt Governor in May 2016. Both have often accused the other of interfering in their administrative affairs.

He alleged on Tuesday that Bedi was trying to bring a bad name to the elected government by hindering the implementation of the welfare schemes such as free rice program decided upon by the government. Narayanasamy said people were behind the government and hence "we will oppose tooth and nail all the plans to obstruct implementation of the schemes." He claimed that although he had represented to the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister on several occasions bringing to their notice Bedi's "wrong style" of functioning, no action was taken.

Narayanasamy said he felt sorry that they were constrained to hold such agitations to protest the Centre`s "failure" to provide sufficient funds to Puducherry and to project the attempts to obstruct the territorial government's welfare and developmental schemes.