Official functions should be held in organised way following decorum: Bedi

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said Wednesday that the organisers of official functions should ensure that the events were held in an organised way following a respectful decorum.

Referring to the event on Tuesday at a government function where AIADMK legislator A Anbalagan and the lieutenant governor were locked in a war of words after the legislator was asked to cut short his speech as he 'exceeded' the time allotted at a government function.

Without mentioning the legislator's name, she said that "a particular speaker, who was not scheduled to speak, was accommodated to address. But he refused to respect the sanctity of the event and the time of all others despite being repeatedly requested (to stop his speech)".

The former IPS officer also said that the organisers should brief the speakers in advance.

Once the minute-to-minute programme was approved, any change ought to be made with the approval of the organiser or whoever is presiding over the event.

The incident occurred in the presence of a couple of ministers during the government function to declare Puducherry open defecation free with Bedi as the chief guest.

She said that "we should not allow planned and important policy events fall by the side. When we let that happen, people would lose an important opportunity of knowing the official policy and the important announcements".

Admitting that everyone has the right to express their opinion and views, the LG said, "No one, however, has the right to make the event only about them and hold all others captive."