Chennai: Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Thursday reiterated that her position as the Chief Executive of the Union Territory is not affected by the Supreme Court order that the Delhi Lt Governor is bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers.
“The Supreme Court clearly differentiates what is applicable to Union Territory of Delhi and what is applicable to the Union Territory of Puducherry…the Delhi Lt Governor is the product of an amendment of the Constitution whereas Puducherry was an Act of Parliament”, Bedi told reporters on the sidelines of a function at a women’s college at Teynampet here.
She said Supreme Court had clarified that Puducherry cannot be compared with the case of Delhi as it is governed by a provision which is different from that concerning the national capital. Puducherry was covered under Article 239A whereas NCT of Delhi is covered under Article 239AA. The top court had said the case of Puducherry even stood on a different footing from the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep and Chandigarh.
On the other hand, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy continued to maintain that the SC verdict was applicable to his UT as well. He has warned he would file contempt petition if Bedi continued to “interfere” in the UT administration.
When Bedi tweeted the clarification on the SC verdict and insisted she has the powers to carry on her work for the people, she got huge positive response from several followers on the social media on Thursday. ‘Carry on your good work unmindful of what the politicians and the media say’, said one admirer’s tweet.
