New Delhi: Puducherry chief minister V. Narayanasamy on Monday ended his sit-in protest after a meeting with Lt Governor (LG) Kiran Bedi, claiming that “partial success” has been achieved on his various demands.
Narayanasamy had been on a dharna – which entered its sixth day on February 18 – over the LG’s “dictatorship and undemocratic functioning”. He put forth various demands including increasing assistance under old age and widow pension schemes.
The protest intensified on Sunday when Narayanasamy and his ministers hoisted black flags atop their houses as a mark of protest against Bedi. On Monday Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal also paid a visit to extend support to his Puducherry counterpart.
Visited puducherry CM @VNarayanasami to express solidarity wid the people of Puducherry. @VNarayanasami is fighting against dictatorship of Puducherry’s LG. UT status to Del n Puducherry is an injustice to their people. We will fight together for full statehood. pic.twitter.com/AfK0fKmfdZ
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 18, 2019
The Wire earlier reported that the chief minister had warned that his government will plan a “jail bharo” (fill the prisons) agitation if the LG does not give her approval to important welfare programmes. On Monday, however, Narayanasamy said he and his cabinet colleagues have suspended the jail bharo protest as well as the fast slated for February 20-21.
“We are suspending all the agitations slated for the next two days against Kiran Bedi as we could score partial success on various public issues at the meeting we had with her,” Narayanasamy said at a press conference after an over four-hour-long meeting with Bedi at her office on Monday night.
Also read: Kejriwal Backs Puducherry CM Narayanasamy’s Protest Against LG Kiran Bedi
He said after the talks with the Lt Governor, he and his cabinet colleagues met at the committee room and it was decided “unanimously” by ministers and legislators that “the agitations including jail bharo and massive fast slated for February 20 and 21 are suspended”.
Narayanasamy also said the dharna outside the assembly was also called off immediately after the meeting.
He said the talks were held at the invitation of the Lt Governor on various issues listed by him in his letter sent to her on February 7 .
“Most of the important issues, including payment of monthly assistance to 10,000 new applicants under old age and widow pension, and auctioning of the cooperative sugar mill to raise funds to pay farmers and workers were discussed, and the Lt Governor accorded her approval to these schemes,” the chief minister said.
Puducherry chief minister V. Narayanasamy and others during their protest against Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on February 13. Credit: PTI
The chief minister said Bedi had accepted the government’s representation for posting of teachers on contract basis and appointment of nurses in government hospitals. On other issues, the chief minister said, Bedi told the ministers that she would consider their representations.
“We are satisfied partially with the outcome of the meeting and are suspending all the agitations and calling off the dharna,” he said
However, the chief minister said, the campaign for statehood would continue “without a break”.
In his letter to the Lt Governor, Narayanasamy – who began his protest on February 13 – had listed numerous incidents where he alleged Bedi superseded the government’s powers. He also accused the LG of nullifying at least 39 welfare proposals initiated by the Congress-DMK government, thus slowing down Puducherry’s progress and development.
(With PTI inputs)