Puducherry CM attacks Kiran Bedi, says 'Centre posted a demon here'

Puducherry: Chief Minister of Puducherry V Narayanasamy, who has been at loggerheads with Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on various administrative issues, on Thursday said the Centre had posted a "demon" in Puducherry, as she has allegedly been impeding various welfare schemes.

Addressing a meeting of the ruling Congress party on the occasion of the 35th death anniversary of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Chief Minister said, "We are putting in strenuous efforts to ameliorate the lot of the people through various welfare schemes."

"But the Centre has posted a 'demon' here and she has been hindering the implementation of the schemes," he alleged.

Narayanasamy claimed the consecutive win of the Congress or its alliance partner the DMK in the polls held either to Parliament or to the Legislative Assembly (in the bypolls) showed that people had reposed faith in the Congress government.

Narayanasamy went on to accuse the NDA government at the Centre for adopting several "anti-people" measures that were affecting the country's economy and people's welfare.

He further alleged that the NDA government had struck at the root of the people's well-being by adopting reforms like GST, and measures like demonetisation.

He said, "Industries were facing a crisis, automobile sector was witnessing a shutdown, unemployment was on the rise and the agriculturists were in a critical condition."