MLA protests Lieutenant Governor Bedi's weekend visit

Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi today faced a protest from a Congress MLA during her weekend visit to a residential colony in the Oulgarpet Assembly constituency here.
A release from the LG's office said Oulgarpet MLA M N R Balan staged a protest when Bedi arrived at the colony, where most of the residents are teachers.
The release claimed that the MLA asked Bedi as to who had given her the permission to visit the colony.
It also added that the conduct of the legislator was captured on video and a report, along with the video footage, was being sent to the Government of India.

Bedi had expressed her dismay over the protests by the elected representatives in an open letter to them yesterday.
The former IPS officer wanted to know why the elected representatives should get annoyed by her visits and also said in the letter that none of them had responded to her invitation to accompany her during the visits to the constituencies and villages to launch the Swachh Bharat campaign.

The LG was accompanied by around 150 students and NCC volunteers during her visit, who took part in the cleaning of the colony. They also helped the Fire Service personnel remove a huge trunk of an uprootedtree.

Later, Balan told reporters that he had not objected to the LG's visit.
"I had already taken steps to remove the uprooted tree after much struggle. The officials did not respond to my representations as quickly as they do during the LG's visit," he said.
"Bedi can undertake a garbage-cleaning drive. However, she has only been projecting the work done by her team during her weekend visits on Twitter. Blacking out the role of the elected representatives in the Swachh Bharat mission is maligning their image," he added.
Balan also claimed that there was no prior information from the Raj Nivas regarding the constituencies the LG was scheduled to visit.

"I got the information about her visit to the teachers' colony today through an office-bearer of the residents' welfare association," he added.
The LG was accompanied by Additional Director General of Police, Punjab, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and her private secretary, R Sridharan, among others during the visit.
There has been a sharp criticism, both inside and outside the Assemblyfor some weeks now, both by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, other ministers and ruling party MLAs of Bedi's weekend visits to launch the 'Swachh Puducherry' mission.
The former IPS officer has been at loggerheads with the Congress government in the union territory on several issues, including the admission of students under the government quota to post-graduate medical courses in the deemed universities and private medical colleges here.