‘Asking a CM to turn a translator is insulting’

The opposition AIADMK accused the Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi of expressing her tendency to domineer over an elected representative by asking Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy to translate her speech into Tamil at the inauguration of the Kamban Vizha.

Talking to reporters here on Friday, AIADMK legislative party leader A. Anbalagan said that Mr. Narayanasamy should have declined the request of Ms. Bedi to do the translation because he had been virtually belittled by the Lieutenant Governor before a huge gathering of Tamil scholars. Had Ms. Bedi intended that the Tamil version of her speech should be presented to the audience, she should have brought an official from Raj Nivas to do the translation. “But asking a Chief Minister to don the role of a translator is insulting and exposed the height of vanity of the Lt. Governor,” he said.

“In fact, I felt irked by Ms. Bedi’s request to the Chief Minister. But I controlled myself lest I should be mistaken for causing a flutter at the function,” he said. Mr. Anbalagan took a strong exception to Revenue Minister M.O.H.F. Shahjahan describing those objecting to public hearing on the plea for expansion of Strides Shasun as mischievous elements.

The government should not have allowed the PPCC to hold the public meeting. The company had violated environmental safeguards. The government should not allow Strides Shasu to expand its plant at Kalapet, he said.