Narayanasamy-Bedi standoff: Cong asks Centre to intervene

Amid a turf war between Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi and Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, the Congress on Monday alleged that the LG's actions were detrimental for good governance in the Union Territory and asked the Centre to intervene in the matter.

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mukul Wasnik and Anand Sharma have written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh, bringing to his notice the alleged "acts of ommissions and commissions" of the Lt Governor in Puducherry.

Narayansamy has been holding a dharna outside the LG's residence in Puducherry since February 13 to protest what he called the "negative attitude of Lt Governor Kiran Bedi" in approving 39 proposals of the government.

The Congress leaders asked Singh to intervene in the matter, alleging that Bedi's actions were becoming detrimental to the peace, progress and good governance of Puducherry.

The Congress leaders also attached Chief Minister Narayanasamy's letter to Bedi in which he has aired his grievances against her alleged interference in governance.

Bedi had, in a letter to the chief minister on Sunday, pointed out that she had cut short her public engagements in Delhi and returned to the Union Territory to hold a meeting with him to avoid inconvenience to the people of Puducherry "due to your politically motivated agitations".

The chief minister on Monday denied her allegation that the agitation was "politically motivated" and said the aim is to ensure that the people's demands were met.

The protest outside the Raj Nivas entered the sixth day on Monday.