DMK stages protests against Bedi's comments on water scarcity

DMK workers staged a protest here Tuesday against Lt Governor Kiran Bedi's recent remarks on people of neighbouring Tamil Nadu in the context of water crisis in Chennai.

DMK MLA R Siva and a host of leaders of different wings of the party and the former Agriculture Minister R Viswanathan of the CPI addressed the gathering and demanded that the Centre immediately recall Bedi.

Siva said through her comments on twitter that the water crisis in Chennai was due to "highly selfish and cowardly attitude of the people" Bedi had "defamed" the people of Tamil Nadu.

"This remark is highly condemnable and the Centre should intervene immediately and recall Bedi from Puducherry," he said.

Slogans were raised by the agitators condemning Bedi's remarks.

Police were deployed in strength at the venue of the agitation, which was close to Raj Nivas.

The Puducherry Lt Governor, referring to a media report on the water situation in Chennai, had said Sunday that the city has become the first in the country to run dry four years after it witnessed floods due to copious rains.

The people's perception, in response to the report, was that the situation arose due to "poor governance, corrupt politics and indifferent bureaucracy," she said.

On Monday, she said she shared only the people's perception. "It is not my personal view and hence there is nothing personal in the message," she added.