The Madras High Court Tuesday said that Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has no powers to interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the government or act independently. Bedi has been engaged in a power tussle with Chief Minister V Narayansamy ever since she assumed office in May 2016.
The Madras High Court Tuesday said that Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi has no powers to interfere in the day-to-day affairs of the government or act independently. Bedi has been engaged in a power tussle with Chief Minister V Narayansamy ever since she assumed office in May 2016.
According to the HC order, the decision taken by the Council of Ministers and the CM is binding on the Secretaries and other officials. The order came on a writ petition filed by Puducherry Congress MLA Lakshminarayanan in 2017 questioning the L-G’s powers to interfere in administration despite the presence of a Council of Ministers.
Both Bedi and V Narayansamy have not reacted to the order.
The duo has been at loggerheads over several issues since 2016, with the CM claiming that the L-G was ‘interfering in the functioning of the government and stalled development in the state as several proposals are pending with her office’. The tussle escalated after Narayanasamy launched a six-day agitation against Bedi’s “autocratic” behaviour. His Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal – who had similar allegations against LG in the capital – joined him in the protests.
Bedi’s decision to make helmet wearing mandatory in the UT triggered the latest episode. While Bedi wanted the helmet rule for two-wheeler riders to be implemented at one go, Narayanasamy wanted the implementation in phases after generating awareness among the residents.
According to the HC order, the decision taken by the Council of Ministers and the CM is binding on the Secretaries and other officials. The order came on a writ petition filed by Puducherry Congress MLA Lakshminarayanan in 2017 questioning the L-G’s powers to interfere in administration despite the presence of a Council of Ministers.
Both Bedi and V Narayansamy have not reacted to the order.
The duo has been at loggerheads over several issues since 2016, with the CM claiming that the L-G was ‘interfering in the functioning of the government and stalled development in the state as several proposals are pending with her office’. The tussle escalated after Narayanasamy launched a six-day agitation against Bedi’s “autocratic” behaviour. His Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal – who had similar allegations against LG in the capital – joined him in the protests.
Bedi’s decision to make helmet wearing mandatory in the UT triggered the latest episode. While Bedi wanted the helmet rule for two-wheeler riders to be implemented at one go, Narayanasamy wanted the implementation in phases after generating awareness among the residents.