Minister hoists black flag atop house to protest Bedi's visit

Health and Tourism Minister of Puducherry Malladi Krishna Rao hoisted a black flag atop his house in Yanam on Tuesday to protest against Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi's visit to the enclavefor a review meeting without associating him at any stage of her visit'.

Also, he wore a black shirt to show his protest to Bedi for not havinggiven her nod to various welfare schemes for the region.

Bedi, who had visited Yanam in 2017, was on a second visit for two days to the region to review implementation of schemes there.

Reports from Yanam said the local people gathered along the route, which the Lieutenant Governor was taking for her inspection, holding black flags and black balloons to register their protest.

The Health Minister had recently said at a press meet that if Bedi visited the region without giving approval to a number of proposals placed before her for welfare of the people of Yanam she would be taught a lesson.

Bedi however went ahead with her tour programme unfazed by the black flag demonstration.

She said in her twitter handle that she had reached Yanam past midnight on Monday and that she had a busy day ahead.

She visited the government general hospital and a few other places.

Health Minister said Bedi had been constantly rejecting all the proposals for welfare of the people of his constituency.

The plea for distribution of rice through cooperative stores was for instance hanging in the balance and compensation for the fishermen in the region was yet to be available.

'I have not been extended any invitation either from her office or from office of Regional Executive Officer about the visit of Bedi. She has also not been accompanied by Chief Secretary and other top officials during her visit to Yanam although it had been the practice for such a team of officials to accompany a Lieutenant Governor during visit to outlying regions," Rao said.

Rao said he had assured the police officials there would be total upkeep of peace during Bedi's visit to the region.

Police from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh had also been deployed in addition to local police to maintain law and order.

Yanam is an enclave of Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh.

Bedi would wrap up her tour on Wednesday and return to Puducherry.

She was accompanied by the Officer on Special Duty G Theva Needhi Dhas and another official Asha Gupta from Raj Nivas.

The former IPS officer and the territorial Chief Minister V Narayanasamy have long been in a running battle against each other over exercising administrative powers.

The turf war between the two began ever since Bedi took over the mantle as a Lieutenant Governor. The Chief Minister has been accusing her of interfering in the administrative matters.