Puducherry: Opposition All India N R Congress (AINRC) members on Wednesday staged a walkout from the Puducherry Assembly alleging the party member Ashok Anand showering praise on Lt Governor Kiran Bedi throughout his speech, was being prevented from speaking in the House.
The main opposition party in the House and their legislator Anand, found such virtues and merits in the office of the Governor, reminded the government and members that as far as a Union Territory is concerned the Lt Governor is the Supreme authority. He was participating in the discussion on the motion of thanks to Lt Governor’s address on the opening day of the budget session.
The comment of the legislator provoked the ruling Congress party members and opposition AIADMK members alike, where the AIADMK legislature party leader A. Anbazhagan and government whip RRR Anantharaman were on their feet in the assembly hall. Without replying to Anbazhagan’s request to clarify his stand on Lt Governor’s comment on elected representatives, the NR Congress legislator continued his praise on Ms Bedi stating that she is straightforward and corruption free.
Giving ‘clean chit’ to the Lt Governor in the allegations that the Governor is holding back files at Raj Nivas, Mr Anand said the Lt Governor cleared all the files in a time bound manner, which provoked the Congress members. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy clarified that the member is talking without knowing the actual facts and the Governor is returning the files sent by the government. Speaker of the house V Vaithilingam repeatedly requested Ashok Anand to confine himself to the motion of thanks without deviating from the main subject.
As Congress and AIADMK (Amma), cutting across the party lines, started to oppose his action, Anand and the legislators of his party staged a walkout.
Though the politicians in the Union Territory were cutting across party lines, and joining hands against Bedi seeking her recall, AINRC and their chief and former Chief Minister N Rangasamy were conscious of not making any public comment against the functioning of the Lt Governor.
Mr Rangasamy, who earlier engaged in an ugly spat with former Lt. Governor Virendra Kataria during his regime, was reluctant to join hands against the Lt Governor on the ongoing tussle between the Lt Governor and the government headed by his political rival V Narayanasamy.
