Puducherry Health Minister Malladi Krishna Rao on Wednesday staged a sit-in protest inside the Assembly over the refusal of Yanam administration to allow entry to 14 people who returned from work from other States.

Mr. Rao, who represents the Yanam constituency, came to the Assembly in a black dress and squatted on the portico of the Assembly demanding permission for the workers to enter Yanam.

Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and Speaker V. P Sivakolundhu met Mr. Rao and asked him the reason for staging the protest.

He submitted a memorandum to Mr. Sivakolundhu accusing Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi of working against the interest of people in Yanam.

Speaking to reporters, the Minister said the workers reached the Andhra Pradesh side of the border by foot from Odisha, Hyderabad and Puttaparthi four days ago. They have expressed their willingness to get quarantined once they are allowed permission to enter the region, he said.

Mr. Rao said the Regional Administrator was adamant on not allowing the workers to cross the border. On Tuesday, the Home Ministry gave a direction to the Chief Secretary to take immediate action on the request made by the workers, he added.

"The officials will not listen to the elected representatives but only to Ms. Bedi. Her continued interference in day to day affairs of the government is also hampering COVID -19 relief works," he alleged.