Let Centre adjudicate on Puducherry crisis, says Kiran Bedi

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on 17 June said that Chief Minister V. Narayanswamy should go to "the Centre and let them adjudicate" on the distribution of powers between the two.

"They can refer whatever they wish to the Government of India, or the Ministry of Home Affairs. They can refer it to the Ministry of Law. Let them take a conscious view, because it's the question of union territory management. Puducherry has an elected Assembly with an administrator appointed by the President of India. I think we should let them go back to the Government of India and let the Government adjudicate. In fact, I have also requested the Government of India that they need to be formally told that there are the legal responsibilities," Bedi told ANI.

"As far as I am concerned, what is the power of law now? I am duty bound for that. If it changes, I have no choice. At the moment too, I don't have any choice, but to carry on what is on record - my legal responsibilities," she added.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister V. Narayanswamy clarified that this was not an issue of "suppression of power."

"This is not an issue of suppression of power. Some clarity is required, therefore, we passed a resolution in the Assembly. The members of the Legislative Assembly wanted a resolution to be brought that the elected government should be centered. We have not passed any resolution against any individual," Chief Minister Narayanswamy told ANI.

Narayanswamy also wrote a letter to the Government of India demanding "to define powers."

He further added that the reason of dispute is that she called for video conferencing without the Chief Minister's knowledge.

"The reason of dispute is that she is calling the officers for video-conferencing without the knowledge of minister of the department and the Chief Minister. She wants a review meeting of the departments without the minister of department knowing it. She cannot act independently," he added.

Yesterday, the State Assembly adopted a resolution to amend the law in order to curtail the powers of the Lieutenant Governor.

Narayanasamy said the Government of India should give more power to the union territory's legislature.

"The Government of India should give more power to the legislature. A resolution in this regard has been passed in the Puducherry Assembly," Narayanasamy said earlier.

Narayanasamy had last month openly challenged Bedi from the floor of the House during the Assembly proceedings. He had dared Bedi to prove her charges of "corruption and malpractices" in admission to post graduate courses in private medical colleges.

-ANI