NE NEWS SERVICE
PUDUCHERRY, DEC 26
Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Saturday charged Lt Governor Kiran Bedi with imposing ”impossible” conditions at the eleventh hour on devotees visiting Lord Saturn temple in Tirunallar to offer prayers during Sani Peyarchi festival.
26-12-2020 | Press meeting Highlights from #Puducherry #covid19 #NewYearCelebration pic.twitter.com/kTn4urSSnw
— Office of Ex CM V Narayanasamy (@ExcmPuducherry) December 26, 2020
Addressing media, the Chief Minister said the condition that the devotees visiting the temple on the occasion of Sani Peyarchi festival on Sunday was ”practically impossible” to fulfil. He said around 17,000 devotees had already booked the tickets on line some two weeks ago.
The condition should have been announced by Bedi much earlier and the devotees would have the opportunity to get the certificates. Noting that the Madras High Court permitted the holding of Sani Peyarchi festival a few days ago on a petition filed by a devotee from Karaikal, the CM said there was no mention in the court order that the devotees visiting the temple should bring COVID-19 negative certificates.
He sought to know how the Lt Governor could impose the condition on her own and that too at the eleventh hour. “This is a clear case of Bedi overstepping her powers and authority. This announcement by the Lt Governor betrays her anti Hindu stand. It has now caused unrest among all sections in Karaikal now,” he said.
“All political parties and public have come together in Tirunallar now and were up in arms against the direction of the Lt Governor. If any law and order issue breaks out in Karaikal the Lt Governor should own responsibility,” he added.
Narayanasamy appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and rein in Bedi and ensure that she did not ”misuse” her powers, particularly in the context of celebration of the Sani Peyarchi festival.
