With Puducherry Congress casting Lt Governor Kiran Bedi as Adolf Hitler in its posters, the LG has turned the table against the UT's Congress government by tweeting those posters and terming her dubious portrayal as an act denigrating the LG's office. Bedi's counter attack put the Congress-headed government on defensive with Chief Minister V Narayanasamy rushing in to counsel restraint to his party workers.
"Persons can be disliked but sanctity of the status of the lieutenant governor office must not be compromised. Respectful means of protest can be found without disrespecting constitutional offices," Bedi tweeted after putting her posters, portraying her dubiously as Hitler and Goddess Kaali on her tweeter handle.
"These posters are not in good taste for office of a lieutenant governor. These posters are in poor taste. They are really an attempt at lowering the status of the office of lieutenant governor," she added in her tweets. The lieutenant governor made the remarks after tweeting a few of the Congress-designed posters purportedly denigrating her.
She tweeted a picture which showed the lieutenant governor being chased away. This picture was displayed at the venue of a fast by Congress leaders to protest the "arbitrary manner" in which three BJP supporters were nominated to the assembly.
Bedi also tweeted another picture in which she was depicted as "Goddess Kaali," albeit in a dubious manner. Bedi's tweets made the chief minister rush in to counsel restraint to his party workers.
Apparently unhappy over such posters being displayed allegedly by Congress workers, Narayanasamy asked party activists to be "restrained in making comments or criticisms" of the lieutenant governor.
Addressing reporters here, the chief minister said although every one has the right to air views to protect the elected government's privileges, "there should be ... restraint in making comments or depicting caricatures or displaying posters on lieutenant governor."
Such criticisms or depicting images of the lieutenant governor would not also be in line with public opinion and people too will not accept this type of protest, he said.
Naryanasamy said he had been constantly issuing such appeals that there should be "no unrestrained comments on lieutenant governor." He said people would always support whatever is reasonable as was seen during the bandh observed earlier this month to protest the "arbitrary manner" in which three persons were nominated as legislators of Puducherry assembly by the Centre.
Narayanasamy came out with the appeal as he was apparently upset over the display of a poster at a demonstration held by the Congress at Thavalakuppam yesterday which purportedly portrayed Bedi as Adolf Hitler.
Congress workers were protesting the induction of three nominated members of the BJP to the Puducherry assembly by the Centre without consulting the UT government.
Narayanasamy accompanied by PCC chief and PWD Minister A Namassivayam, party MLAs and functionaries had also participated in the demonstration.
The Union home ministry had appointed BJP's Puducherry chief V Saminathan, the party's treasurer K G Shankar and another functionary S Selvaganapathy as nominated legislators of the Puducherry assembly. The three leaders were inducted by Bedi as members of the House on the night of July 4 at the Raj Nivas triggering strong protest from the Congress, its alliance partner the DMK, the left parties and the VCK.
A bandh was also observed a few days later in Puducherry at the instance of these parties to protest the "undemocratic style of functioning of the lieutenant governor and the nomination of three BJP activists by the Centre without adhering to democratic procedures."
The parties also sought ouster of Bedi through the bandh and also through a fast on July 7.
