Bandh against Kiran Bedi total, peaceful in UT

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy told reporters that the induction of the three BJP members by Bedi “is a shame on the Constitution and the democratic norms and conventions.” He claimed that only the speaker was the constitutional authority to induct any member as legislator of the House. “The Lt Governor has taken law into her hands and had inducted the three BJP functionaries. This is improper and invalid,” he said. 

Reacting to the bandh, the Lt Governor said that it is against performance not against non-performance, against honesty, integrity, cleanliness, activism, team building. She wondered, “What is wrong in getting three more members to serve the people. We should welcome it and why should we have a bandh against this.”

The strike has been called by various political parties including the DMK in protest against the “disrespect” shown by the Centre to the people of the Union Territory. However, the Karaikal region was exempted from the bandh in view of the famous “mangani festival” in the region on Saturday. A bandh will be observed there on July 10.