High Drama At Puducherry Assembly, Marshalls Bar Entry To 3 Lawmakers

New Delhi:  The budget session in Puducherry assembly started with high drama today as marshals stopped three lawmakers, who were nominated by the Central government, from attending. The appointment of the lawmakers in the Congress-ruled Union territory has been a huge political controversy since last year, and the matter even reached the courts.

In June, the Centre nominated three members -- V Saminathan, the BJP president in Puducherry, party treasurer KG Shankar and S Selva Ganapathy, who is linked to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological mentor of the BJP -- allegedly without the approval of the government. Speaker V Vaithilingam objected to their appointment.

The BJP has no representation in the 30-member assembly, where the Congress has 15 members, AINRC 8, AIADMK 4 and DMK 2 members and there is one Independent member. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has described the nomination as "a backdoor entry by the BJP which could not win a single seat".

As the Speaker sought clarifications about the appointment from the Union Home Ministry, the three leaders were administered oath by Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi. Later, the Madras High Court upheld the appointments.

Speaker Vaithilingam, who, last year claimed to have "sky high powers",  has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court order. The case will be heard next week.

He has also said there will be no change in his order of November 2017, in which he refused the lawmakers entry into assembly. In his letter, the Speaker said: "The principles of natural justice have not been followed. The order of the Hon'ble High Court has been passed without hearing me. As such there is infirmity and lacking constitutional clarity in the order of the Hon'ble High Court".

On Sunday, Mr  Vaithilingam  said he would give his decision after consulting legal experts. He is yet to give a formal response to the issue.

The three lawmakers are likely to move court. V Saminathan said, "This is contempt of court by the Speaker who has been saying he would abide by the court order over the last nine months".  

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Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi, who arriving at the assembly after the drama, said, "The law will take its course".

The government of Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has also been entangled in a turf war with the Lieutenant Governor, who is a central appointee. In June last year, the assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution that sought to curb the powers of the Lieutenant Governor.