Congress accuses Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi of 'functioning like police officer'

Puducherry: Hitting out at the Kiran Bedi, who is caught in a tussle with the Congress government in Puducherry on several issues, state minister M Kandasamy on Saturday said the Lt Governor was putting hurdles in implementation of developmental projects. Addressing Congress volunteers at a demonstration to condemn the attack on the AICC vice president Rahul Gandhi in Gujarat, he alleged that “Bedi is causing hurdles in the implementation of developmental projects in Puducherry”. [caption id=“attachment_3190244” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi. Reuters[/caption] She has been taking “a negative stand affecting routine governance ever since she became the Lt Governor in May last year”, Kandasamy alleged. “The Lt Governor is considering Puducherry a police station and is functioning like a police officer giving commands and instructions to officials to prevent development of the Union Territory,” he alleged. “Bedi had been using Raj Nivas (office of Lt Governor) as headquarters of the BJP and she also functions like the party leader here,” he alleged. “The plans of the BJP to disturb states now under Congress rule would never meet with success. In Puducherry, the party rule would continue without break for five years”, he said. “Presently the Lt Governor is disrupting the establishment of Puducherry port. She is also interested in thwarting the plans to restore services from Puducherry airport,” he alleged. He condemned the attack on Gandhi in Gujarat as “a clear case of frustration on the part of the BJP as it is losing base in the wake of several anti-people measures implemented by the NDA government”. Bedi has been at loggerheads with the Congress government on many issues, including one relating to admission of students under government quota to post graduate medical courses in deemed universities and private medical colleges. Her office had also sought a CBI probe into “alleged corruption” in admission of students to PG medical courses. Bedi was also under attack from the government for swearing in three members nominated to the Assembly on 4 July. The Congress had on 7 July observed a day-long fast in Puducherry to protest the “undemocratic” style of functioning of Bedi and also demanding her ouster. Reacting to the criticisms against her, Bedi had earlier said that she was “not a rubber stamp” and that she was performing her duties as an administrator.