Kiran Bedi has been repeatedly accused by Congress and opposition in Puducherry of overstepping powers
After a heated argument on stage with Kiran Bedi over his speech being cut short at a government function, AIADMK lawmaker A Anbalagan has stepped up his attack on the Puducherry Lieutenant Governor. Claiming that he had been insulted by Ms Bedi, he asked "is the Lieutenant Governor a princess in Puducherry?"
Trouble began when Mr Anbalagan, while speaking at the government function to declare Puducherry open defecation free, was indicated by Ms Bedi that he was going above the time limit. Lt Governor Bedi was the chief guest at the event.
Mr Anbalagan was initially speaking on the centre's Swachch Bharat Abhiyan for maintaining cleanliness, but later highlighted "shortcomings" and suggested measures to improve it.
He was then handed a slip by an officer asking him to wrap up.
The lawmaker, however, kept on speaking, following which his microphone was switched off.
Immediately, an argument broke out on stage with the lawmaker asking Ms Bedi how could he be asked to stop his speech. Mr Anbalagan left the venue when asked by Ms Bedi to leave. "Please go. Do not spoil the function," Ms Bedi had said.
This evening, the lawmaker also attacked other ministers who were present at the function for not coming out in his support.
"Do the Ministers serve as dumb followers of the Lt Governor? Is the Lt Governor a Princess in Puducherry?" he asked.
Ms Bedi, in a WhatsApp message to news agency PTI, charged that the lawmaker refused to end the speech and continued to be rude. "He went on and on beyond reasonable time when there was long programme to follow... rejected the request to stop and continued to be rude," she said.
Ms Bedi said the lawmaker was not even scheduled to address the gathering and he compelled his way before the start of the function to be part of the speakers.
"Incidentally this is not the first time this MLA has done something like this. I have witnessed similar misbehaviour from him earlier too when he was asked to respect others` time too," she told PTI.
Kiran Bedi has been repeatedly accused by both the ruling Congress and opposition parties in Puducherry of overstepping her powers in the past.
With inputs from PTI