Puducherry CM V Narayanasamy attacks Lt Guv Kiran Bedi, thanks people for peaceful New Year eve celebrations

In a veiled attack on Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Friday said the new year eve celebrations in the union territory went off peacefully despite attempts by some sections to stall them.

"The successful and peaceful celebration of the fete displayed that in a democracy the power of the people is stronger than any force," he told reporters here. Citing Centre's guidelines, Bedi had on Wednesday urged people to welcome 2021 from their homes and avoid ending up "super spreader" of Covid-19 by thronging public places for the revellery, disagreeing with the UT government's decision to allow celebrations.

"As chairman of the State Disaster Management Authority, I had maintained that the celebrations would be held subject to the safety norms and guidelines of the Central government," Narayanasamy said, appreciating the locals and tourists for maintaining discipline during the new year eve events. Police and the Revenue departments also played a crucial role in ensuring the peaceful celebrations, he added.

Speaking after offering worship at the famous shrine of Manakula Vinayakar here on the occasion of the dawn of the new year, he said that he prayed to the Almighty that 2021 be a development oriented year in Puducherry.

Narayanasamy also said he was confident that the "chaos and troubles unleashed by Bedi" in 2020 would be a thing of the past in the new year. He alleged both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bedi were not not interested in development. "But the new year would see successful accomplishment of the power of the people," he said.