Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Kiran Bedi. (Express Photo/File)The Supreme Court Tuesday will hear a petition filed by Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi challenging a Madras High Court order that curtailed her powers. Bedi has sought the status quo that existed before the HC held that she “cannot interfere” in the day-to-day affairs of Puducherry’s elected government.
A Vacation Bench led by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi, had agreed to hear the plea last week. The Ministry of Home Affairs is party to the petition.
Yes. Today.
It’s Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, challenging it, besides the office of @LGov_Puducherry.
As the Lt Governor of the Union Territory Of Puducherry, reports to MHA. ( Ministry Of Home Affairs). @PIB_India @ANI https://t.co/oMsQomUxuS— Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) June 4, 2019
The HC’s ruling came on a plea filed by Congress MLA K Laksminarayanan who alleged Bedi was running a “parallel government” in Puducherry.
In a 151-page verdict, the HC said: “…Thus, the elected Government functioning through the Council of Ministers, cannot be defeated by the act of the Administrator who is also functioning under the provisions of the Constitution, by way of interfering in the day to day affairs of the Government and calling for each and every officer to the residence of the Administrator and running a parallel Government.”
Bedi and Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanaswamy have been in a tussle for power since 2016, with the latter alleging that the L-G was “interfering in the functioning of the government and stalling development in the state as several proposals are pending with her office”. Narayanaswamy had held a six-day dharna outside Bedi’s office in February this year against her “autocratic” behaviour.
