PUDUCHERRY: The Puducherry Assembly witnessed intense drama on Friday, when legislators of the ruling and opposition parties sprung up in protests minutes after Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi began her inaugural address at the Budget Session, a good four days after the budget itself was presented in the House. The irony of the delayed address was not lost on the legislators present.
Even as Bedi began her address, Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao, CM’s Parliamentary Secretary K Lakshminarayanan, Government Whip RKR Aanantharaman and MLA T Jayamurthy staged a walkout. Rao returned after some time, wearing black mask and towel as symbols of protest. Expressing solidarity with the doctors who have been demanding for an apology from Bedi — who is alleged to have demeaned a senior practitioner — Rao condemned Bedi for not granting the said doctor an appointment to discuss government decisions.
Soon after, those who left with Rao returned, wearing black shirts. They took offence with Bedi’s alleged statement that, “some legislators need to visit a clinical psychologist.” “She has no right to comment on our mental health,” said Lakshminarayanan. Alleging that the L-G has been stalling schemes in the union territory for the last four years, Anantharaman said, “As an administrator, she knows Puducherry’s financial situation very well.
But even during the Covid crisis she is not ready to seek any funds from Centre.” Bedi managed to finish her speech despite all the protests. Subsequently, when the Speaker rose to read the Tamil translation, the four AIADMK legislators stood up and protested. Led by their floor leader A Anbazhagan, they raised objections with the way the Budget Session was held. Soon, their microphones were turned off, and none of their statements were recorded.
Later Anbazhagan alleged that both the L-G and Chief minister were trampling on the rules of conduct on Assembly proceedings. Not to be left out, even the BJP staged a protest. The party’s three nominated MLAs claimed the Puducherry government failed to implement several Central schemes.