Bedi is a 'publicity aspirant', says Puducherry CM

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Sunday said all the barricades put up near the office of the Lt Governor will be removed as soon as the brief session of the Assembly slated for tomorrow ended, citing 'hindrance' to smooth movement of people.

Addressing participants of a day-long fast organised by outfits of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to support Welfare Minister M Kandasamy now on indefinite fast opposing Kiran Bedi for the 'delay' in approving his files, the CM said she was 'autocratically functioning' since she assumed office in 2016.

"She is only a publicity aspirant," he alleged. The erection of barricades at various points at various points close to Raj Nivas at the instance of Bedi since January 7 after the Congress-led alliance announced agitation against her, was 'causing hindrance' to smooth movement of the people, he said.

Assuring that he would get all the barricades removed as soon as the Assembly session ended on Monday, Narayanasamy said, "I fear none, whether it is Bedi or anyone else. People's right to movement is important."

Accusing Bedi of functioning in an 'autocratic manner', he said she was after 'publicity' by going on bicycle every week without doing anything for the people and without approving of welfare schemes decided by the government. Minister Kandasamy has resorted to the indefinite dharna on the premises of the Assembly to condemn the 'delaying tactics' on the part of Bedi to approve as many as 15 schemes of his departments.

Referring to the free rice scheme, the CM said, "Price of rice is rising quite frequently and the fixed amount paid through DBT would only hit the beneficiaries."