Nominated BJP MLAs claim denial of entry into Pondy assembly;

The three BJP MLAs, whose nomination to the Puducherry assembly by the Centre was upheld by the Madras High Court recently, claimed they were denied entry into the House by the police on the opening day of a brief session here today.

The nominated BJP members V Saminathan, K G Shankar and S Selvaganapthy said they were prevented by the police, who were posted both inside and outside the assembly premises, from entering the House.

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi delivered the customary address in the assembly.

Bedi tonight said she has sought a report from the Union Territory Chief Secretary on the 'obstruction' faced by the MLAs so that follow up action could be taken "at our administrative end" and the Union Home Ministry informed accordingly.

"It has been brought to our notice that the three nominated MLAs have been obstructed from coming into the Assembly despite clear orders of the First Bench of the Madras High court," she said in a whatsapp message.

The nominated MLAs, barring Shankar, and Leader of the opposition N Rangasamy met her separately in the evening at Raj Nivas and 'presented their anguish, Bedi said in a tweet.

Earlier in the day, the three MLAs along with their supporters squatted on the road outside the assembly campus and raised slogans against the police.

While squatting, one of the agitating members, Shankar, was suddenly taken ill and had to be rushed to the government general hospital located near the assembly.

The trio's nomination had earlier been rejected by Speaker V Vaithilingam.

The Speaker, in a communication to the members yesterday, had said he was not heard by the high court on the issue of their nomination by the Centre and accordingly he stuck to his November 12 last order, rejecting their nomination.

He had taken the stand that the "natural justice was not observed" in adjudication of the issue of their nomination.

Meanwhile, the assembly adopted a 'unanimous' resolution moved by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy that the government would soon file an appeal in the Supreme Court against the high court order.

The members who participated in the debate on the resolution said there should be protection of the rights and privileges of the elected government here.

Another unanimous resolution urged the Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board and the Monitoring Commission in keeping with the directives of the Supreme Court on sharing of the river water.

The Karaikal region of Puducherry is entitled to seven tmc feet of water from the river system.

Tabling the resolution, the chief minister said the centre should set up the board as per the court order. No other body would be acceptable to ensure the availability of river water for the delta farmers, he added.

He said his government is duty-bound to take care of the interest of the Karaikal farmers.

He termed as 'untrue and unacceptable' the opposition AIADMK leader A Anbalagan's charges that the government was not insisting upon the Centre to form the CMB only because there was a Congress government in Karnataka.

"We will give no room for political passions and would insist upon our rights," Narayanasamy added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)