Congress, allies to launch agitation in Puducherry against farm bills despite LG's advisory

PUDUCHERRY: The Congress and its allies have said they will go ahead with the proposed agitation spearheaded by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy here on September 28 against the farm bills passed in Parliament.

This comes even as Lt Governor Kiran Bedi issued an advisory to the Chief Minister who is the Chairman of the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) to ensure that the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, Epidemics Act and national directives relating to COVID-19 issued by the Centre are complied with by all political parties in the Union territory.

The Lt Governor's response was based on a petition to her as well as the Union Home Ministry by AIADMK legislature party leader A Anbazhagan stating that it was not proper on the part of the Chief Minister who is the chairperson of the SDMA to conduct the agitation during the COVID pandemic. Anbazhagan wanted the intervention of the central government and Lt Governor to prevent the agitation.

However, leaders of the Congress, DMK (both North and South units), Left parties, VCK and other political outfits held a meeting under the chairmanship of Chief Minister V Narayanasamy in the Puducherry Congress party office on Saturday and took the decision to go ahead with the agitation as scheduled on Monday.

Narayanasamy in the meeting exhorted farmers to come and take part in the agitation which would be held by adopting social distancing and other safeguards in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.