Puducherry Chief Minister, Cabinet Colleagues Sleep on Road outside Kiran Bedi’s Home

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and five of his ministers continued their protest outside Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi’s official residence on Thursday. V Narayanasamy and his cabinet colleagues spent Wednesday night on the road outside Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi's residence.  

CM Narayanasamy is demanding that Kiran Bedi accord sanction for 39 government proposals, including a free rice scheme. He began his protest on Wednesday, wore a black shirt and black dhoti and protested against Bedi for not permitting implementation of his government’s welfare schemes. 

Ms Bedi's idea of making wearing helmets compulsory for motorists with immediate effect, further triggered the protest. 

Mr. Narayanasamy, also tweeted pictures of him sleeping on the road with a thin shawl as blanket. While the ministers and legislators from the Congress and DMK too spent the night with him.

However, Kiran Bedi responded in a letter to him and termed his protest as unlawful. She said, "Instead of waiting for my response to your February 7 letter, you have come to Raj Nivas, demanding a reply in this unlawful manner. This method is unheard of from a person of your position."  

Interestingly, the Lieutenant Governor’s letter was hand-delivered to the chief minister. Ms Bedi invited Mr Narayanasamy for a detailed discussion on February 21. She also said that nothing was pending at the Raj Nivas, as alleged. 

Legislators of the opposition AIADMK broke helmets on the premises of the Puducherry assembly over the mandatory helmets rule. They also flayed her style of functioning and called it as arbitrary.