SC judgement applies to Puducherry: Narayanasamy

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court judgement that curtailed the powers of Delhi Lt Governor and said it is 100% applicable to the Union Territory too.

Taking a cue from the judgement, Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, engaged in a running feud with Lt Governor Kiran Bedi also warned of legal proceedings against those who violate the verdict, though he did not name Bedi directly.

“The Supreme Court has reinforced what I have been saying for the past two years. The Lt Governor has no powers to interfere in the day-to-day administration. I welcome the SC verdict and it applies 100% to Puducherry,” Narayanasamy told reporters in Puducherry.

“Whoever functions contrary to the judgement now delivered by the apex court would face serious action. I myself would file a contempt petition against those failing to act in consonance with the supreme court verdict," he said, without naming Bedi.

He hoped that Bedi will stop taking meetings with officials every day after the Wednesday judgement. “I appeal to her to stop conducting meetings with officials and if she has any doubts, she should seek clarification only from the secretary of the department,” he said.

In the judgement seen as a major victory for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the Supreme Court ruled that the LG has no independent power to take decisions and is bound by the elected government's advice.

About Bedi passing on instructions and issuing orders through social media, the chief minister said, "The era of WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook frequently resorted to by the Lt Governor would now become a thing of the past."