Puducherry: political history
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Lieutenant governors
LG, not speaker, administering oath of office to MLAs
1990:The first time that a lieutenant governor administered the oath of office and secrecy to MLAs, instead of the speaker: In 1990, the then incumbent, Chandravathi, administered the oath of office and secrecy to three nominated MLAs from DMK when the DMK-JD coalition was in office.
2017: Three people nominated to the legislative assembly of Puducherry by the NDA-led central government were sworn in by lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi at Raj Nivas around 8pm on Tuesday Jul 04 2017. The sudden move took Congress, which leads the union territory's administration, by surprise as the government was planning to move court against the nominations, sources said.
The three MLAs are BJP's Puducherry chief V Saminathan, treasurer K G Shankar and pro-BJP educationist S Selvaganapathy. The three had earlier called on Bedi, chief secretary Manoj Parida and assembly speaker V Vaithilingam. When they sought to give Vaithilingam copies of the Centre's order nominating them as members, he directed them to submit the documents to the assembly secretary , indicating that they “will receive a communication“ on the matter.
In the meantime, Parida issued a gazette notification republishing the Centre's order.
Speaker returns nomination file to Lt Governor
Speaker's jolt to LG Bedi's nominations|Jul 11 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)|
Puducherry Assembly Speaker V Vaithilingam on Monday returned the file to Lt Governor Kiran Bedi who nominated three BJP functionaries as members of the House, terming it as `improper' and `not acceptable'. Bedi had sworn in on July 4 BJP's Puducherry unit president V Saminathan, its treasurer K G Shankar and another functionary S Selvaganapathy as nominated members. “The induction of the three members was not acceptable as the swearing in was not done in accordance with the procedure,“ a source close to the Speaker quoted him as having said.
2018/ Home ministry urges re-delegation of LG’s financial powers to state functionaries
Centre clips Pondy governor Bedi’s wings, September 30, 2018: The Times of India
In a boost to the Congress government in the Union territory of Puducherry, the home ministry has directed chief secretary Ashwani Kumar to consider re-delegation of lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi’s financial powers to the secretaries, heads of the departments and offices and council of ministers proportionately.
Under-secretary (home) Sanjay Kumar in a communication addressed to the chief secretary acknowledged that the “financial power of the LG has been enhanced substantially”, adding that re-delegation “may be in the overall interest of good governance, and will help in smooth functioning of government.” CM V Narayanasamy had earlier urged home minister Rajnath Singh to enhance delegated financial powers of administrative secretaries, finance department and council of ministers for various purposes.
2019/ : HC: L-G can’t interfere in govt’s day-to-day affairs
Srikkanth D, May 1, 2019: The Times of India HC: L-G Bedi can’t interfere in govt’s day-to-day affairs
Madurai:
Puducherry lieutenant-governor Kiran Bedi cannot run a parallel government, interfering with the day-to-day affairs of the government under the guise of “supremacy” or “public interest” when there is an elected government, ruled Madras high court.
Justice R Mahadevan added that an elected government functioning through a council of ministers could not be defeated by the acts of an administrator who was also functioning under the provisions of the Constitution.
The judge was passing orders on a petition filed by Congress MLA K Lakshminarayanan, challenging the Union home ministry’s communications that vested powers to the administrator. Holding that the Centre attempted to undermine the power of the legislative assembly and elevate the power of the administrator, though such powers were not available under relevant laws, said, “The need of the hour is participative governance rather than suppresive governance.”
Justice Mahadevan ruled that the power of the L-G to act as an administrator was restricted and applicable only in certain circumstances.
On the petitioner’s contention that Bedi had been using social media to run a parallel government, Justice Mahadevan said, “Government officials can’t use their personal media to address public grievances. A public redressal forum in the form of official emails, telephone numbers are to be circulated and used, if already not put into use.”
When the Centre questioned the very locus standi of the petitioner, the judge rejected the objection saying he was a legislator, and hence he was directly aggrieved by the circular from the Union ministry of home affairs.
In his petition, Lakshminarayanan listed the instances of interference by Bedi in the government’s day-to-day affairs, forcing government officials to be in Whatsapp groups rather than official channels of communication, interfering in financial matters, and holding review meeting with officials, thereby by-passing the elected government.
The L-G submitted that the sole intention was to serve the people of Puducherry and she had been discharging the duties entrusted to the office under the statute.
Lieutenant governors vs the state government
2021: Kiran Bedi shifted, Cong govt loses majority
Bosco Dominique, February 17, 2021: The Times of India
Bedi relieved as LG on day Cong govt in Pondy loses majority
Puducherry:
On a day the Congress-led government in Puducherry lost its majority following the resignation of an MLA, the Central government relieved lieutenant governor Kiran Bedi of administrative responsibilities, reports Bosco Dominique. Assembly elections are slated to be held in the Union territory in April-May this year.
Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundarajan has been given additional charge of Puducherry, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said on Tuesday evening. The decision to relieve Bedi is the culmination of a long-running feud between her and chief minister V Narayanasamy.
Bedi removed as guv days after Puducherry CM met President
The President has directed that Kiran Bedi shall cease to hold the office of the lieutenant governor of Puducherry and has appointed Tamilisai Soundararajan, governor of Telangana, to discharge the functions of the Lieutenant-Governor of Puducherry…,” Ajay Kumar Singh, press secretary to the President, said.
Bedi’s removal came a few days after a delegation led by Narayanasamy called on President Ram Nath Kovind and submitted a memorandum urging him to recall Bedi. The delegation accused Bedi of acting in a “typical autocratic manner in violation of constitutional provisions and rule of law” and interfering in the day-to-day affairs of the elected government and blocking all welfare and development schemes.
Relations between the two had turned so acrimonious that they took their disagreements to public fora on several occasions.
Bedi and the Congress government have been at loggerheads over several issues ever since she assumed office on May 29, 2016.
Narayanasamy charged Bedi with failing to redelegate the enhanced financial powers to the chief minister and his cabinet colleagues even after the home ministry’s directive.The two crossed swords over the appointment of the state election commissioner to hold local body polls that were not held since the tenure of the elected representatives expired in 2011.
Bedi cancelled the Puducherry government’s appointment of a retired official as state election commissioner (SEC) and ordered for selection of the SEC through a transparent, competitive and fair process inviting applications through an all-India advertisement. The Congress government insisted on providing rice and cloth free of cost to beneficiaries while Bedi insisted on providing cash equivalent of rice and cloth through the direct benefit transfer, depositing cash directly to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
Religion and the government servant
Two- hour special permission to perform puja at home
Bosco Dominique, April 29, 2023: The Times of India
Puducherry: The Puducherry government has granted its women employees two hours special permission from 8. 45am to 10. 45am on three Fridays a month to perform pujas at their homes. However, this will not be applicable to women employees posted at hospitals, police stations, educational institutions and other departments that extend essential services to the public.
A release from the secretariat of lieutenant governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said the facility can be accorded on a rotational basis in offices where only women employees are posted.
The government’s move drew flak from the opposi- tion DMK, which said it would oppose this attempt to impose R S S ideology on the people of Puducherry. Leader of the opposition R Shiva said the move would weaken the position of women in society as it encouraged them to devote themselves to domestic chores and poojas.
Shiva said it was regrettable that the government, instead of evolving schemes to empower women, has come out with such a scheme. He urged the government to ask the Centre to release adequate funds for various schemes to empower women.
Religious beliefs
2021: Raahu Kaalam and MLAs’ swearing-in
May 27, 2021: The Times of India
The interplay of superstition and politics is not unusual with even the most rational politicians known to succumb to superstitions. And so it was in Puducherry on Wednesday when ‘raahu kaalam’ (the inauspicious time span according to Hindu astrology) forced a 90-minute break in the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected and nominated members of the legislative assembly. Most politicians preferred not to take oath during the inauspicious rahu kaalam between noon and 1.30pm.
Pro-tem speaker of the legislative assembly K Lakshminarayanan began administering the oath to the MLAs at 10am on the legislative assembly premises. A few minutes before noon, the ceremony was stopped. It was later revealed that the remaining MLAs will be sworn in after 1.30pm as rahu kaalam would end. TNN
YEAR-WISE STATISTICS
2021
Feb: Cong govt falls
Bosco Dominique, February 24, 2021: The Times of India
Congress, allies plan massive protest in Puducherry
PUDUCHERRY: A day after chief minister V Narayanasamy and his cabinet colleagues resigned, the Congress and its allies announced a massive protest on Wednesday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Union territory. The protest is to condemn the BJP-led Centre, the opposition All India NR Congress (AINRC) and the AIADMK for toppling the Congress government.
The protest venue is close to the Anglo-French Textiles grounds where Modi will address a public meeting. Police have tightened security in the town. Two companies of central reserve paramilitary forces have reached Puducherry to assist police in security measures.
Modi, during his almost twohour stay, will launch a series of projects, besides addressing a public meeting before visiting Coimbatore in the afternoon.
The Congress and its allies were busy making arrangements for the protest on Tuesday. Puducherry Pradesh Congress Committee president A V Subramanian, who announced the protest, accused the BJP of luring MLAs with money, making false promises of offering them ministerial berths in future and threatening a few others with raids from the Central Bureau of Investigation, Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate to betray the Congress and shift their loyalty to the saffron party.
"The BJP-led Centre has murdered democratic principles and values by dislodging the Congress government.We will hold a massive protest at 10am near Anna Statue in the town limits to condemn the communal BJP's anti-democratic activities,” Subramanian said and added that allies also would take part in the agitation.
The Congress ministry fell after the speaker of the legislative assembly V P Sivakozhunthu, without putting the confidence motion moved by Narayanasamy to vote when the House convened on Monday, declared that the government had lost its majority in the assembly.
The Puducherry BJP unit claimed that the party was not responsible for the Narayanasamy government's fall and maintained that the government lost its majority after five of its MLAs and an MLA of its ally, the DMK, resigned in the last 30 days.
None of the opposition parties staked claim to form the government.
Meanwhile, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of chief minister V Narayanasamy and his cabinet colleagues with effect from February 22, said additional secretary (home affairs) Govind Mohan in a notification.
Puducherry chief secretary Ashwani Kumar said the Union home ministry's notification was republished in the government gazette.
