Can't Hold Others Captive: Kiran Bedi On Lawmaker Who Wouldn't End Speech

Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said on Wednesday that the organisers of official functions should ensure that the events were held in an organised way following a respectful decorum.

Referring to the event on Tuesday at a government function where AIADMK legislator A Anbalagan and the lieutenant governor were locked in a war of words after the legislator was asked to cut short his speech as he 'exceeded' the time allotted at a government function.

Without mentioning the legislator's name, she said that "a particular speaker, who was not scheduled to speak, was accommodated to address. But he refused to respect the sanctity of the event and the time of all others despite being repeatedly requested (to stop his speech)".

The former IPS officer also said that the organisers should brief the speakers in advance.

Once the minute-to-minute programme was approved, any change ought to be made with the approval of the organiser or whoever is presiding over the event.

The incident occurred in the presence of a couple of ministers during the government function to declare Puducherry open defecation free with Ms Bedi as the chief guest.

She said that "we should not allow planned and important policy events fall by the side. When we let that happen, people would lose an important opportunity of knowing the official policy and the important announcements".

Admitting that everyone has the right to express their opinion and views, the Lt Governor said, "No one, however, has the right to make the event only about them and hold all others captive."

She appealed to organisers that they should ensure this in the future.

"It is about management of official public functions in an organised way following a respectful decorum. Time is of value and we all must respect our own and of others. Most of the people leave their essential work to come and attend," she said.

The Lt governor asked the legislator at the function on Tuesday to "please go" during the spat between them when she found that the legislator was going ahead with his speech ignoring the request sent to him by the organiser in a slip of paper.

She walked towards the legislator and asked the technician to switch off the mic allotted to him.

He then picked up an argument with Ms Bedi on the dias, questioning the sudden switching off of the mic and sought to know how he could be asked to stop his speech.

Ms Bedi in her message had said the legislator 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.

He also presented Wednesday a petition to Speaker V Vaithilingam raising a privilege issue against the Lt governor as he felt that Ms Bedi had deliberately prevented him from speaking although he was a legislator from the constituency where the function was held.